SAD-BJP alliance: BJP eyes bigger share of seats in Punjab

Buoyed by its improved show in the Lok Sabha polls in Punjab, the BJP is eyeing a bigger share of seats from its ally Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in parliamentary and assembly elections.

The BJP won two of the three seats it contested in the state, matching the tally of the SAD, which contested from 10 Lok Sabha constituencies.

As per the current seat-sharing formula, the BJP fields its candidates on three of the 13 parliamentary and 23 of 117 assembly seats. The rest are kept for the SAD.

The BJP has become a pan-Punjab party. We are not limited to pockets. Our workers want more seats to contest," former state BJP chief Kamal Sharma said over the phone Friday.

"Therefore, the terms of the alliance related to the seat sharing should be revised, he added.

Sharma said the party is doing well even in parts of the country where it had no base earlier, suggesting that both allies should sit and discuss the issue.

When asked if the BJP was flexing its muscles in view of the party's performance in the Lok Sabha polls, Sharma said, This has been the aspiration of our workers for some time now. This has nothing to do with the recently-held polls.

"If the BJP contests more seats, the alliance will benefit, Sharma said, adding that the SAD was their trusted ally.

The BJP had bagged Gurdaspur and Hoshiarpur Lok Sabha seats while losing from Amritsar. The SAD could win only Ferozepur and Bathinda seats.

On Akali Dal's performance, Sharma said, Both parties will need to analyse the results separately.

The Congress had bucked the Modi wave, bagging eight of the 13 Lok Sabha seats in the state.