Amid talks of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) reaching out to erstwhile allies in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the run up to the 2024 General Elections, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leaders claim that no one in the BJP has reached out to them as yet, and that their options are open for alliances with different partners as well. SAD was the oldest ally of the BJP before they broke the alliance in 2020, over the farm laws.
Also Read | BJP looks to stitch together new alliances ahead of Lok Sabha polls
“Nobody has reached out to us as yet,” said a senior Akali Dal leader, adding that he anticipates any outreach from the BJP to happen after Assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Mizoram. “We may look down and out at the moment but we have our support base and 20% vote share, in such a situation, we are keeping our options open for alliances,” he said, and on being asked whether that included the Congress, he replied in the affirmative.
