CHANDIGARH, January 9: Top leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) will address joint rallies all over the country as part of their campaign for next month's general elections.Announcing this here yesterday, BJP senior vice-president Madan Lal Khurana told media persons that such rallies would be held in bigger towns, particularly in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. He said the campaign plan will be finalised soon by the party's election committee.
Punjab Chief Minister and SAD president Parkash Singh Badal was present at the occasion at which former Congress MP Kamal Chaudhary was formally admitted into the BJP.
Khurana maintained that the combined rallies by his party and its allies were aimed at convincing the electorate all over the country about a strong and stable alliance which alone could restore political stability at the Centre. He averred that the BJP was going to the hustings this time with the slogan, "Stable Government - Able
Leader".
Asked about his party's stand on Prime Minister I K Gujral contesting from Jalandhar, Khurana said the PM should spell out if he was indeed keen to contest the seat. However, Badal interrupted, "we will be able to bring round the BJP to accept our nominee".
Kamal Chaudhary, who has represented Hoshiarpur in Lok Sabha thrice in the past, was formally admitted into BJP when he filled the membership form of the party in the presence of Khurana, Badal, state unit president of BJP Daya Singh Sodhi and several Punjab state ministers belonging to SAD.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
