'Will invite you to Punjab soon': Akali Dal's Parkash Badal makes phone call to new ally Mayawati

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) patron Parkash Singh Badal on Saturday spoke to Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati over a phone call after the two parties announced their alliance for the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections.

"We will soon invite you to visit Punjab," Badal told Mayawati during the conversation.

Earlier today, SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal and BSP's Satish Mishra announced their alliance in a joint press conference.

"It is a new day in Punjab politics. Shiromani Akali Dal and Bahujan Samaj Party to fight the 2022 Punjab Legislative Assembly elections and future elections together. Out of 117 seats in the Punjab Assembly, BSP will contest on 20 seats and SAD will contest the remaining 97 seats," Badal said.

BSP MP Satish Mishra also called the alliance a "historic move" in Punjab politics." He also recalled the election in 1996 when both BSP and SAD jointly fought Lok Sabha polls and 'emerged victorious' on 11 of 13 seats.

The alliance between SAD and BSP comes amid a crisis in the Congress party over factionalism.

Now, SAD sealing a deal with BSP is certainly a massive political development in Punjab politics. SAD had pulled out of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in September last year over the farm bills with the resignation of Harsimrat Kaur Badal from the post of Union Minister of Food Processing Industries.

Earlier, on June 5, SAD president Badal had said his party is open for pre-poll alliance with parties other than Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party and Aam Aadmi Party.

( With inputs from ANI )