The Congress, for once, was worried at the “falling stock” of the ruling Akali-BJP alliance in Punjab. Also read | It’s official: Dera Sacha Sauda with SAD-BJP in Punjab electionsPunjab Congress chief Captain Amarinder Singh played it safe on how will the dera announcement impact Congress prospects. “The dera has its support base in south Malwa districts where our fight is with the AAP,” he told HT. In party’s calculations, the dera vote to the SAD-BJP would on one hand neutralise the gains of the AAP in Malwa and on the other, cut the dera vote of the AAP and Sikh vote of the SAD. Also read | SAD embraces dera chief in defiance of Takht, promises to facilitate ‘satsangs’ in PunjabThe dera prop also works as a double-edged sword in Punjab polls.

Source: Hindustan Times February 02, 2017 04:43 UTC