A day after sounding a poll bugle in the neighbouring state of Haryana, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Sunday constituted a three-member panel to decide upon the alliances ahead the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and the assembly polls in the state.

SAD president Sukhbir Badal on Saturday had addressed a party rally at Ambala following which he decided to set up the panel. The panel would study various proposals SAD has been receiving from  political parties in Haryana and explore the possibility of tie-up for the forthcoming elections.

“The panel would be headed by senior Akali leader Balwinder Singh Bhunder, with Manjinder Singh Sirsa and NK Sharma as its members,” said the party spokesperson Harcharan Bains.

During the previous general elections, SAD had entered into a coalition with the Indian National Lok Dal in Haryana considering the close ties between the Punjab’s Badal family and Haryana’s former Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala, INLD’s supremo. The Badal family has “strong ties” with the Chautala family.

The alliance came at a time when the SAD was in coalition with the BJP in Punjab since more than three decades, and heading the alliance government from 2007 to 2017.

The INLD and SAD had however parted ways in 2016 over the issue of Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal.

Eyeing to spread its wings outside Punjab, SAD had organised its rally in the neighbouring Haryana a day before, while calling upon the entire Sikh community of the state to unite under the banner of Akali Dal.

Sukhbir also promised to provide free power to Haryana farmers on the pattern of Punjab if voted to power, besides focussing, in his speech, on the schemes his government had started in Punjab for the welfare of farmers and the poor.

He underlined that the Sikhs can decide the fate of 40 legislators in the forthcoming Assembly elections in Haryana.

Sukhbir called upon the party workers to launch door-to-door campaigns.