Punjab Elections: Tensions Between BJP and SAD Rife in the State

• Differences brewing between partners BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal over seat sharing and ministerial portfolios in Punjab
  
• BJP, which was given 23 out of 117 constituencies to contest in Punjab wants increased representation in the state
  
• After his meeting with BJP Chief Amit Shah, SAD President Sukhbir Singh Badal said there would be no change in seat sharing, though there may be swapping of some constituencies.​
  
• The BJP and SAD complement each other, and their tie-up has worked towards their mutual benefit since 1996
  

​A meeting between Bharatiya Janata Party Chief Amit Shah and ally Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal this week may have peppered some differences that cropped up between the partners in Punjab. But mutual suspicion and uneasiness remain rife among workers of the two parties.

Punjab BJP leaders have been wanting more say in the affairs of the state, better portfolios for ministers from the party, improved facilities for urban areas where the party has more influence, due regard for local level leaders and an increase in the number of seats allocated to the BJP. The party was given 23 of the 117 constituencies to contest during the last two elections and it has been demanding an increase in representation since then. However, Badal, after his meeting, said that there would be no change in seat sharing, though there may be swapping of some constituencies.​

The BJP Wants Better Representation in Punjab

A couple of days before the Shah-Sukhbir meeting, the BJP Chief convened a meeting of senior party leaders from the state. A section of these leaders advocated severing of the ties between the two parties, in view of the strong anti-incumbency sentiments against the Akalis in the state. They stressed that th​ere’s little chance of retaining power for the coalition under the given circumstances. Some others demanded a much higher quota of seats. In all possibility, Shah shared these views with Sukhbir and may have asked for more say in the administration. Evidently Sukhbir did not agree with increasing BJP’s seat share, but is reported to have said yes to consulting state leaders before taking major decisions.​

​Such is the level of disenchantment in a section of BJP cadres that the Tarn Taran district unit of the party had openly declared that it would not support the SAD candidate contesting the Khadoor Sahib by-election in the district. Party workers have, in fact, been working against the Akali candidate in the by-election, boycotted both by the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

Some BJP Leaders are Against the BJP-SAD Alliance

Though there has been a token presence of senior state BJP leaders at the string of Sadbhavna rallies recently organised by the SAD, party workers refrained from attending. Senior party leaders are also miffed at the lack of coordination when it comes to taking important decisions.​

One of the major fall-outs of the Shah-Sukhbir meeting is the ruling out of former BJP MP Navjot Singh Sidhu from being given leadership of the BJP state unit. He has been vocally critical of Akali leaders, particularly Sukhbir’s brother-in-law Bikram Majithia. He has also expressed his views involving the discontinuation of alliance with the SAD. His wife Navjot Kaur Sidhu has been even more vocal and declared that they won’t contest the next elections if the party continued its alliance with the SAD. There are reports that the couple is toying with the idea of joining AAP, which is looking forward to making an entry into Punjab politics.

The BJP and SAD Complement Each Other in Punjab

Given the political dynamics and USPs of the two parties, it would be difficult for both to sever their relationship. SAD has its base in Panthic, politics particularly in rural areas, while BJP has its support base in urban areas, within Hindus. The two parties compliment each other and the tie-up has worked towards their mutual benefit since 1996. Their history goes back even before the reorganisation of the states in 1966, with the former avatars of the two parties​​

BJP was seriously thinking of going alone in the aftermath of the Modi wave in 2014, but the debacles in Delhi and Bihar have led to some re-thinking. The party also has a tough test ahead in the states going to poll this year including Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The central party leadership may not like to rock the boat in Punjab for the time being, but the younger leaders in the party are getting restive. The party can’t afford to ignore them in the long run.​