SAD to call meeting to review Punjab poll outcome

Outgoing chief minister Parkash Singh Badal today said the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) will convene a meeting to analyse the reasons behind its defeat in the 2017 Punjab Assembly elections.
Congratulating the Congress on its victory in the polls, he assured that his party will support the new government if it works in the interest of the people and the state.
"We will call a meeting of the party in which we will discuss the reasons (behind the defeat in the polls)," Badal told reporters after submitting his resignation to Punjab Governor V P Singh Badnore here.
On the AAP accusing the Akalis of helping the Congress win in the polls, Badal, rejecting the allegations, said the SAD had always fought against the party for meting out a "step-motherly" treatment to Punjab.

"So the question does not arise of helping the Congress," Badal said.
On the Sutlej-Yamuna-Link (SYL) canal issue, Badal reiterated that "not single drop of water" will be shared as Punjab's economy depended on it.

To a question on the Congress's resolve to wipe out the drug menace from the state within four weeks, Badal said "whatever steps they take will come before you".
SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal said the party would analyse reasons behind the defeat in a meeting.
"The kind of development work we undertook, has never happened in the state. But if there was any deficiency or wrong propaganda launched against us, we will analyse these and then take corrective measures," he said.

Sukhbir said though the SAD and the BJP managed 31 per cent vote share, it faced defeat because of drop in vote share.
He said the Congress and the AAP got 38 per cent and 23 per cent vote share respectively.
Sukhbir congratulated Congress leader Amarinder Singh on his win and said the SAD will "watch" the new government and whenever they make any mistake, the Akalis would take it to the public.