Sticking Point
- BJP-Akali Dal turf war comes to fore as Assembly polls draw near
- BJP Minister Madan Mohan Mittal alleges party getting ‘minimal representation’ in the government
- Resentment resurfaced recently with Prime Minister not turning up at the Anandpur Sahib function
- Dilemma for both parties as leaders aware they would both suffer if the alliance breaks off
With the early 2017 Assembly elections in sight, a turf war has started between the coalition partners Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) in Punjab. Differences between the two have been simmering for some time now but recent statements by some of the BJP leaders, and actions initiated by the SAD, have brought out to fore the growing mutual suspicion between the partners.
So far the most vocal criticism has come from the cabinet minister and senior BJP leader Madan Mohan Mittal. Recently he said that there is growing resentment among the BJP workers against the senior coalition partner SAD giving “minimal representation’’ to the BJP in the government.
‘Minimal Representation’ to the BJP
Mittal’s remarks followed after two sub committees were set up in his department apparently without his knowledge. Worse, these sub committees were headed by two Chief Parliamentary Secretaries (CPSs) belonging to the SAD.
Mincing no words, Mittal, who holds the portfolio of Industry and Commerce, said that if the alliance wanted to stage a comeback in the next elections, its performance needs to be better and it needs a collective responsibility of the alliance partners.
Alliance in Doldrums
BJP minister’s diatribe follows surfacing of resentment between the two alliance partners over the 350th anniversary of the foundation of the holy town of Sri Anandpur Sahib, where the Khalsa panth was established by the tenth guru Guru Gobind Singh. Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, who had made it a prestigious celebration, wanted Prime Minister Narendra Modi to be present at the celebrations. He personally went to invite Modi who reportedly agreed to come. However, a few days before the celebrations, a word was sent to the state government that it would not be possible for the PM to make it. Instead, the name of Home Minister Rajnath Singh was suggested.
The chief minister was put off by this `attitude’ and word was spread that Punjab would not participate in Modi’s prestigious International Day of Yoga. Following hectic parleys, the BJP announced that its chief Amit Shah would represent the PM at the Anandpur Sahib celebrations along with Rajnath Singh. This seemed to have placated the Akalis to some extent and it decided to participate in the International Day of Yoga.
Simmering Differences go Back to 2012
The simmering differences between the two parties go back to the question of sharing of seats to be contested in the 2012 assembly elections. Despite the BJP asking for more seats, the SAD put its foot down and it was decided to retain the same number of seats as were contested in the 2007 elections though swapping of some seats was agreed upon.
Differences again surfaced during the formation of the government when the BJP demanded the post of deputy chief minister. The demand was turned down with the senior Badal, who had good rapport with senior BJP leaders in Delhi, preferring to keep the seat for his son Sukhbir Singh Badal. There were also differences over the allocation of portfolios and representation to the BJP in the ministry but a word from the BJP party high command settled down the issue. Similarly differences over seat sharing in civic elections and SAD’s push for panthic agenda were resolved by the intervention of senior leaders.
BJP Flexing its Muscles
The spectacular victory of BJP under the leadership of Modi in last year’s Lok Sabha elections again electrified the Punjab unit of the BJP although the party did comparatively poorly in the state. Not only did Punjab elect four AAP MPs, the only ones from the entire country, but also the defeat of the current finance minister Arun Jaitley from Amritsar at the hands of senior Congress leader and former chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh. The Lok Sabha results evidently reflected the political situation in the state where the people were angry with the SAD-BJP government’s functioning in the state as well as that of the UPA at the Centre. The vacuum was filled by the AAP.
In the neighbouring Haryana, where the BJP was untested, the party did spectacularly well and also swept the Assembly elections which followed the Lok Sabha elections.
The Punjab BJP leaders began to flex muscles after the NDA government was formed. There were even reports about BJP breaking away from the alliance and contesting on its own, calling for early polls in the state.
Some of the party leaders started saying that the least they would want is much higher representation in the allocation of assembly constituencies for the next elections. Deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, who is also the SAD president, has proved himself to be a master political strategist. While he was credited with the strategy which won the SAD- BJP a second term, he also initiated steps to ensure that the SAD on its own can run the government. The SAD had won 56 seats in the 2012 elections. The BJP tally was 12 while the Congress had won 46 seats and independents had taken three seats. Clearly the SAD was dependent on the BJP partner in the 117 strong Assembly.
Can’t Afford Parting Ways
Sukhbir engineered three defections by making three Congress MLAs resign and re-contest as SAD candidates. All three won again bringing up the SAD tally up to 59 (sufficient for an absolute majority) and reducing the Congress strength to 43. Thus it is no longer dependent on the BJP lest it decides to pull the carpet from the coalition. The two parties can, however, ill afford to part ways in the state.
All the Akali governments in the state were formed with the help of the BJP and its previous avatars. While the SAD, with its panthic agenda, has a good hold over the rural voters, BJP is strong in the urban areas. Thus they have been able to balance each other. Leaders of both the parties are aware that they would both suffer if the alliance breaks off.
This explains the turf war to pressurise the other partner for more representation in seat sharing for the next assembly elections. The BJP, which at one time was flying high after Modi’s resounding victory, received a setback after the AAP stormed to power in Delhi. Its leaders may be making brave statements to contest assembly elections without having SAD as alliance partner but the party leaders in Delhi are not likely to take any chance unless there is a drastic change in the political scenario on the eve of 2017 assembly elections.
(The writer is a veteran journalist based in Chandigarh.)
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