Punjab enters longest ever political battle for power on Thursday

Chandigarh : Punjab would witness on Thursday start of the most intense and longest ever electoral battle from the sacred soil of Muktsar on Maghi, the anniversary of martyrdom of 40 muktas, the warriors of Guru Gobind Singh from Majha who had deserted him at Anandpur Sahib to rejoin at what was then known as Khidrane Di Dhab. The town is named after them.Muktsar has been the family bastion of the ruling Badal family as Badal village falls in this district. In normal times, the political conference on such occasion used to be Akali show and one could feel political pulse of Punjab from this gathering, especially in the election year. Political temperature is already rising in this strategic state unlike never before. The February 2017 election would be all the more important as the state would be witnessing 3-cornered contest for the first time. All earlier efforts including by Jathedar Gurcharan Singh Tohra to add third dimension and then by Badal family rebel Manpreet Singh Badal had failed.
Within a few days, the Akali Dal-BJP alliance government enters 10th year in power and hence the alliance is confronted with strong anti-incumbency despite several pro-people welfare measures and governance reforms. Interestingly, people find little fault with the Parkash Singh Badal government on these counts. Chain of incidents in the Sikh religious domain added to the problems of the Akali Dal but the same can be taken care of within the next three months by applying correctives. The Akali Dal would have to prove through practice that the party continues to maintain its historic pro-people character. The task might be difficult but not unachievable.
The Congress high command has gone in for rejuvenation by replacing Partap singh Bajwa with the old war horse as the captain of the party in this battle that is very crucial for its very existence. This perhaps is the only chance for the party to stage a comeback after humiliating defeat in 2014 Lok Sabha election. The party has remained vertically divided during Bajwa’s tenure. His own defeat in the Lok Sabha election from Gurdaspur and spectacular victory of Capt Amarinder Singh from neighbouring Amritsar reduced him to a non-functional president despite all the support from Rahul Gandhi. Having been left with no option, Rahul went in for a change as at stake is also his own future. He would not like to take chances.It is perhaps with this in mind that he is crafting new strategy by bringing in Manpreet whose People’s Party of Punjab had caused a lot of damage to the Congress by way of division of anti-incumbency votes in 2012.Although the arrangement between the two parties is being worked out and likely to be finalized after Maghi, Manpreet could prove to be a very formidable weapon against AAP. It is Manpreet who is the original architect of the alternative politics that AAP now profess to practice. It is a different matter that in Punjab, it is turning into a parking area for non-performing assets.AAP has a lot of support among a major section of the youth but continues to face one problem after another. Party’s two of the four MPs remain suspended for anti-party activities. The party might face more problems in the Assembly constituencies in these four Lok Sabha seats that it won. Delhi Chief Minister and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal would formally kick-start party’s campaign from Muktsar. The party leaders including Durgesh Pathak and Sanjay Singh have been work for more than a month to mobilise people for Maghi rally.All the three stakeholders are using Muktsar platform to showcase their respective strength but at best, this amounts to wastage of resources. AAP leaders should recall that more than a lakh people had turned up at November 10 conclave at Chabba village near Amritsar that was named Sarbat Khalsa by the organisers. They were not mobilized by anyone but the participation was voluntary. The issues involved were religio-political. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s big rallies in Bihar failed to rescue the BJP.The 2012 election results had several dimensions. Out of 34 seats reserved for the dalits, 24 had been won by the Akali Dal. It was for the first time that 11 Hindus had won on Akali Dal ticket. The Sikhs in the Malwa region had by and large voted against the Akali Dal. The voter behavior in Punjab is dictated by different dynamics, unlike in the neighbouring states.Anyway, big rallies can have a momentarily psycho impact but are not known to sway electoral fortunes.

By Jagtar Singh