CHANDIGARH, April 28 -- After snapping ties with the BJP, the Akali Dal is all set to contest the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha seat on party symbol 'takdi' or scales for the first time since 1996 as it braces for a showdown with its former ally which has used star power to clinch the seat on numerous occasions.

The Shiromani Akali Dal had joined hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party in 1996. As part of the seat-sharing arrangement for the 13 Lok Sabha constituencies of Punjab, the BJP used to contest from Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Hoshiarpur.

The SAD walked out of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance in 2020 over the now-repealed farm laws.

The SAD walked out of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance in 2020 over the now-repealed farm laws....