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politics

defeat former Punjab Health minister for 10 years, registered a landslide vic- held Jind-by poll where the ruling BJP
Surjit Kumar Jyani, a senior BJP leader, tory in Punjab under Capt Amarinder wrested the seat from the INLD. The
by a narrow margin of 265 votes. Singh. In contrast the SAD-BJP suffered newly formed breakaway group from
Davinder Ghubaya became the a humiliating defeat and could not even the INLD-Jannayak Janata Party’s (JJP)
youngest MLA in the Captain Ama- gain the position of the main opposition candidate Digvijay Vijay Chautala put
rinder Singh-led Congress government party. It was the AAP which gained that up a creditable fight to remain second
in Punjab. From then it was a matter of position. in the Jind by-poll. Congress stood third,
time before Sher Singh Ghubaya too The SAD-BJP combine was supposed but the INLD remained fourth and last.
switched sides. The strained relations to lose due to the anti-incumbency The supposedly ‘panthic’ party, head-
with Sukhbir Badal and the opportunity factor as it had been in power for two ed by Parkash Singh Badal, even after
in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections consecutive terms from 2007 to 2016. the departure of the leaders like Tohra,
allowed ghubaya to finally take the Unfortunately in the last two years the Talwandi and Barnala, was able to
plunge to join the Congress. SAD has not made any gains. Instead it shape politics in Punjab for a long time.
All these recent developments have has only been weakened more as more This was despite the fact that the SAD
crated new polItical equations in Pun- of its leaders have quit to join some oth- was perceived as primarily concerned
jab. The break up of SAD weakened the er party. The SAD now fears a long-term with the rural Sikh community. What
SAD-BJP alliance and the prospects do decline. It is a worriwsome factor. SAD balanced the situation was the coalition
not look too bright for the forthcoming can be compared to the Indian national with the ‘urban based’ BJP party.
Lok Sabha elections. In the 2014 Parlia- Lok Dal’s (INLD) status in Haryana. However, the massive defeat suf-
mentary polls, the SAD-BJP combine In the year 2000 to 2005 the INLD in fered by the BJP has weakened it. The
had won 6 out of 13 seats at stake. The alliance with the BJP ruled the state SAD-BJP combine therefore does not
AAP had won 4 seat, while the Congress with Om Prakash Chautalas as the all seem to have too many bright prospects
won the rest of the 3 LS seats in Punjab. powerful Chief Minister. In 2005 the in near future. The combine will have to
However, with the death of BJP MP Congress won the assembly elections wait for the ruling Congress to make
from Gurdaspur Vinod Khanna in 2017, and ruled for 10 years. Now the BJP has mistakes in the next few years so that
the SAD-BJP alliance lost a seat. By win- been in power for the last four and a anti-incumbency could grow. SAD will
ning the same Gudaspur seat the Con- half years and the INLD is facing a ques- also have to ensure that AAP does not
gress increased its tally to 4 seats when tion of survival. fill the vacuum expected to be created
Sunil Jakhar won the contest. So bad is the INLD’s current status in by the Congress.
In the 2017 assembly elections the Haryana that the party was relegated
Congress, which had been out of power to the fourth position in the recently letters@tehelka.com

staying together Akali Dal and BJP will
fight 2019 polls from Punjab together