SAD's relationship with BJP is sacred: Badal

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) patron Parkash Singh Badal on Sunday said his party's relationship with the BJP is "sacred".

"Our relation with BJP is sacred and politically I am aligned with the BJP," the five-time CM said on the sidelines of oath-taking ceremony of Manohar Lal Khattar as Haryana CM and Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) chief Dushyant Chautala as deputy CM here at Raj Bhawan.

The SAD had contested the 2019 Haryana Assembly polls in alliance with Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), although Badal's party was is in alliance with BJP in Punjab and a partner of NDA at the Centre.

SAD contested three seats and failed to open its account while its ally INLD could retain the Ellenabad seat from where Abhay Singh Chautala won.

With 40 seats, the BJP has emerged as the single-largest party in the Haryana Assembly polls.

Badal, who apparently played a crucial role in bringing together the JJP and the BJP to form a government in Haryana, said the BJP-JJP alliance is good for the state's future and his good wishes are with the two parties.

Commending Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the former Punjab chief minister said the PM had expanded the country's influence at the international level and the entire country is with him.

He said the saffron party is "in favour of communal harmony and peace" in the country.

Badal also said the former deputy prime minister Devi Lal, the great-grandfather of Dushyant Chautala, was his "closest friend and sympathiser".

"Today I am happy that Devi Lal's grandson (Dushyant) became the deputy chief minister of Haryana," he said.

Badal said he was attending the ceremony as he had "blood relations" with the former PM.

On his party's relations with the BJP in Punjab, Badal said there are "no differences" in the alliance between the SAD and the BJP.

He said SAD will continue to fight polls in alliance with the BJP in future.