BJP loses oldest ally as Akalis walk out of NDA in protest

In this file photo, Harsimrat Kaur Badal (right) is seen sharing stage with her husband, Sukhbir Singh Badal (center), and Narendra Modi at a joint election rally. SAD was one of the oldest allies of the BJP

As farmer protests continue to roil Punjab, the Shiromani Akali Dal, one of the oldest allies of the BJP and a founding member of the NDA, announced Saturday it was exiting the ruling coalition at the Centre in protest against the farm legislation pushed through Parliament by the Modi government.

SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal, whose wife and party leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal resigned in protest from the Union Council…