Akali Dal, BJP part ways for Delhi polls amid differences over CAA-NRC

The Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP alliance for the upcoming assembly elections in Delhi has collapsed amid a row over the Citizenship Amendment Act and proposed pan-India National Register of Citizens (NRC). 

The Akalis who supported the CAA in the Parliament have strongly opposed a nationwide NRC and have also argued to include Muslims in the new citizenship law. 

Manjinder Sirsa, the lone SAD MLA in Delhi, addressed a press conference in the capital and announced the break-up of the two parties ahead if the February 8 elections. The party will not contest the election after the break-up of the alliance.

"SAD and BJP have an old relationship, but after stand by Sukhbir Badal ji (Akali Dal president) on CAA which was to include people from all religions, BJP leadership wanted us to reconsider this stand. So, we decided to not fight these polls instead of changing our stand," the Rajouri Garden MLA said. 

"Shiromani Akali Dal also believes that NRC should not be implemented. We welcomed CAA but we never demanded that any one religion be excluded from this act," Sirsa said. 

"We are also against the NRC. We want that there should be no law which makes people stand in queues and prove their credentials. This is a great nation and there is no space for communalism," he said. 

Sirsa is one of the four BJP MLAs in Delhi. Although a Shiromani Akali Dal leader, he had contested the 2017 Rajouri Garden bypoll on a BJP symbol. 

In 2015 assembly elections in which Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) swept the polls by winning 67 of the 70 seats, the SAD had contested in four constituencies. While two candidates had fought on the BJP symbol, two others contested on a SAD symbol. 

Earlier, the two parties had agreed to field SAD candidates on four seats - Rajouri Garden, Hari Nagar, Shahadra and Kalkaji.

Reports said this was also one of the major points of conflict between the two parties as the BJP wanted all of SAD candidates to contest on lotus symbol. 

The BJP has announced candidates for 57 assembly seats. The second list of candidates for other seats is likely to come out by Monday night as Tuesday is the last day to file nomination. 

Delhi Assembly elections will be held on February 8 while counting of votes will be conducted on February 11. The ruling AAP is locked in a triangular contest with the BJP and the Congress but is favourite to retain the Union Territory.