DW BUREAU / NEW DELHI Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Tuesday said that he "personally" feels that alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in Punjab had cost the BJP heavily.Puri, the BJP election co-incharge for Punjab, said: "It is my personal view that our alliance in the past had cost us heavily in many ways. Today with the people who are joining us, we will take Punjab on a fast path of development." He said that earlier in the 117-member Punjab Assembly, the BJP used to contest 22-23 seats and won three seats in last Assembly polls but now the party has left with just two MLA and five per cent vote share. He claimed that a new political situation is developing in Punjab and in this, with new alliance partners and people joining the party, the BJP will go up and up. "When we were in alliance, the BJP never contested more than 22-23 seats and Alkalis were in dominant position. The BJP was not able to rise in the state. This time we formed an alliance with Captain Amarinder Singh, Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and people are joining us. Now we are equal partners and it is a good opportunity for us to rise in Punjab. In the five corner contest, BJP will have a good show in Punjab," he said as a few leaders from Punjab joined the BJP at the party headquarters here. The BJP is jointly contesting the Punjab assembly election with former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh's Punjab Lok Congress and Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa's Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt). The three parties have formed a six-member committee, comprising two each from three parties to decide the seat sharing formula. Three parties will also make a common manifesto. Polling in Punjab will be held on February 14 and counting of votes will take place on March 10. Taking a dig at Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Puri said: "The time he (Yadav) took to conduct the trial run of Kanpur Metro, our government has run the metro. Uttar Pradesh is number one in implementing all the Central government schemes. There is a saying 'success has many father', and Akhilesh is trying to take credit for our work." Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab President and MP Bhagwant Mann said that AAP has been saying from the very first day that Channi government has colluded with Badal family in drug case because Badals saved Charanjit Channi's brother in City Centre scam and now Channi has retured the favour by saving Bikram Singh Majithia in drug case. Mann said that Channi government did nothing in their 111 days regime and even failed to maintain the law and order in Punjab. That's why the people of Punjab have made up their minds to support Aam Aadmi Party in the upcoming Assembly elections. Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, Bhagwant Mann accused Charanjit Singh Channi of taking a light and time pass action against Bikram Majithia in drug case. He said that there was a 'deal', between Channi and Badal family, in place even before the FIR that Congress government would file a weak case against Majithia and no concrete action would be taken. That's why Congress government did not arrest Majithia even after FIR or the rejection of his anticipatory bail from Mohali District Court. Mann said that legal action against Majithia in drug case met the same fate as Raja Warring's action against the buses of Badal family, because Congress leaders didn't take legal actions to punish mafia but to mislead the people of Punjab. He said that as a resultant today Badal's buses are on roads and Majithia will roam free as it is. Mann said that with the formation of Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab, AAP will reopen these files and case to take exemplary action against every mafia and corrupt leaders. He said that Captain Amarinder Singh had sworn a sacred oath with 'Gutka Sahib' in his hands to eliminate the drug mafia from Punjab in just 4 weeks but didn't take even a single action against Bikram Majithia during his tenure of four and half years. He said that now it is clear to everyone that Congress, Captain Amarinder Singh, SAD (Badal) and BJP, all are partners. Bhagwant Mann said that the people of Punjab would elect Aam Aadmi Party government, every survey indicates that and people gather in large numbers in the rallies of AAP on their own, is a solid proof that they (people) only want AAP government. (editor@dailyworld.in)