SAD-INLD will form government in Haryana, says Sukhbir Badal

CHANDIGARH: In what may not go down well with Shiromani Akali Dal's ally BJP, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today said the INLD-SAD alliance would form the next government in Haryana.

"We (SAD-INLD) will form the next government in Haryana," Badal, who is also SAD President, said.

He, however, clarified that SAD's fight is with Congress and not BJP.

"We will work to oust the corrupt Congress regime from Haryana politics," he said on the sidelines of oath taking by newly elected Akali MLA from Talwandi Sabo Jeet Mohinder Singh Sidhu.

Badal said SAD's ties with INLD were decades old and would continue. Besides, the Badals and the Chautalas share close family ties.

Former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala's INLD, which is the state's main Opposition party, has declared 86-year-old Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal as the star campaigner for the Assembly polls.

But, the Haryana unit of BJP has asked its central leadership to keep Parkash Singh Badal away from campaigning in favour of the Indian National Lok Dal.

Sukhbir Badal said SAD would announce its two candidates for the Ambala and Kolianwali Assembly constituencies in the next two days. Barring these two seats, INLD is fighting all the 90 Assembly seats.

SAD leaders including the Badals had actively campaigned for INLD candidates in Haryana in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

To a question, Sukhbir Badal told reporters that SAD's ties with the BJP in Punjab were permanent and not open to any speculation or conjecture.

He announced that the alliance would fight the forthcoming civic polls in Punjab together as per its traditional seat sharing formula.