Chandigarh, March 27 -- Setting the stage for a four-cornered contest in Punjab, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday made a significant announcement, declaring its decision to contest all 13 seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections independently. The move effectively put to rest all speculations surrounding the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)'s potential return to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), signaling a clear divergence in electoral strategies.
According to sources familiar with the matter, BJP national president JP Nadda engaged in a last-minute conversation with SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Monday night, making a final attempt to forge an alliance. However, negotiations faltered as the Akalis insisted on addressing...