Presidential poll: BJP's former ally Akali Dal to back NDA candidate Droupadi Murmu

Chandigarh: The Shiromani Akali Dal on Friday said it will support NDA candidate Droupadi Murmu in the presidential elections, keeping aside its differences with its former ally BJP.

The decision was taken by the party a day after BJP president J P Nadda reached out to SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal to seek support for Murmu. The SAD had snapped ties with the BJP over the now-withdrawn farm laws. The SAD president also met Droupadi Murmu at a guest house here along with senior party members Balwinder Singh Bhundur, Prem Singh Chandumajra and Charanjit Singh Atwal, and offered the support of the SAD to her.

Addressing the media here, Badal said, “We have unanimously decided to support Droupadi Murmu for the post of the President.”

Citing issues of farm laws and the release of Sikh prisoners, Badal said his party has “many differences with the BJP” but the SAD always worked for the poor and weaker section of society.

“This issue is of a woman who belongs to a poor family and she is getting an opportunity to become the President,” he said.
“Keeping our political differences aside, we have decided to choose the right path. The SAD’s history says that it always fought for the poor, minorities and the weaker section. After considering for almost three hours, we (in the core committee meeting) unanimously decided that we will support Murmuji,” said Badal.

The SAD chief said Nadda had called him on Thursday to seek support for Murmu. He said Murmu, a tribal leader from Odisha, also called him for his party’s support.

Badal said the SAD can never support a candidate backed by Congress as he accused the party of committing atrocities against the Sikh community.

A resolution passed by the SAD core committee, the party’s highest decision-making body, said though they still have reservations with the BJP over the prevailing atmosphere of “communal polarisation, especially the growing insecurity in the minds of members of minority communities, the SAD is eventually inspired and guided by the ideals placed before humanity in supporting Murmu”.

“She not only symbolises the dignity of womenfolk but also belongs to the very downtrodden and the minority classes in whose cause the great Guru Sahiban made supreme sacrifices,” the resolution said.

The SAD had parted ways with the NDA in 2020 over the issue of three farm laws, which were later repealed. Harsimrat Kaur Badal had also resigned from the post of a Union minister over the same issue.

SAD president Badal is an MP from Ferozepur while his wife Harsimrat represents Bathinda parliamentary seat. The SAD has three members in the state Assembly.

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