Recently, the Beopar Mandal, an umbrella organisation of traders, had announced its decision not to support the ruling alliance. The Tourism Employees' Union's move will further add to the worries of the SAD-BJP combine.

Saini said their decision to support the Akali Dal was based on an understanding not to privatise the tourism sector in Punjab, as was being proposed by the then Congress government.

He said instead of reversing the previous government's decision to lease out tourist complexes across the state, the ruling SAD-BJP combine had now gone ahead and privatised new snack-bars and a fuel station of the tourism wing.

Showing the copy of a departmental communication indicating the Punjab Chief Minister's desire to lease out various destinations of tourist interest, Saini said, "This only reflects Akali Dal's departure from its known position on the tourism sector." Saini pointed out that various tourist centres such as snack-bars, fast-food centres and a petrol pump belonging to the Punjab Tourism Department had been "arbitrarily" leased out in Faridkot, Malout, Kapurthala, Ludhiana, Roopnagar and Fategarh Sahib.

In Roopnagar, a new fast-food centre was purposely started and leased out to effect the sale of the state-owned Boat Club.

Reminding the SAD-BJP combine of the Tourism Karamchari Dal's support to them during the previous elections, Saini said, "Our decision not to support the ruling alliance will eventually affect their poll prospects in the Lok Sabha elections."