BJP to contest local Punjab election on its own

AMRITSAR: Punjab's Tarn Taran district BJP unit on Thursday declared the party would contest all 23 municipal council seats there.
It blamed alliance partner Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) for ignoring the BJP and accused it of implicating its partymen in false cases. The elections in Tarn Taran are likely to be held in December.
"We have been continuously ignored by our alliance partner.Our men are being implicated in false cases. People are scared but we have become people's voice and have decided to contest independently in all the 23 wards," said Tarn Taran district BJP president Navreet Singh Shaffipur.
Tarn Taran municipal council had 19 seats during the last elections. BJP holds nine of them. Delimitation has led to the increase in the number of seats to 23.
Shaffipur accused the SAD of snubbing BJP municipal councilors. He said BJP was on strong footing in rural areas. "Our youths are dying of drug addiction while some Akali leaders are sheltering drug lords. This has to come to an end," he said.
Tarn Tarn SAD president Alwinderpal Singh Pakhoke ridiculed the announcement. "Who is Shaffipur to make such an announcement? We are alliance partners and will jointly contest elections.''
He said the statement of contesting separately had not come from any senior party leader and advised Shaffipur to restrain from making such announcements.
"In fact, they are incompetent and making such announcements and leveling false allegations against Akali leaders which is in violation of coalition dharma," said Pakhoke.
Senior BJP functionary and cabinet minister Anil Joshi, who is from Tarn Taran, said if there are any differences between SAD and BJP leadership in Tarn Taran, they would be resolved. "We are partners and will jointly contest elections."