New Delhi: At a time when regional political parties are standing up to national parties in several states, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) is facing its worst defeat in years—a situation that will not only reduce its standing in Punjab but may also lead to dent its influence in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in New Delhi.
The defeat may well bring down the curtain on the career of SAD’s Parkash Singh Badal, the oldest chief minister in office now.
From 56 seats in 2012, it is now leading in just 23 seats, as on 10.30am. Along with its partner Bharatiya Janata Party or BJP (12 seats in 2012), it is leading in 28 seats, as on 10.30 am, in the 117-seat strong Punjab assembly. In contrast, Congress is leading all the way in the state and looks set to form the next state government.
“It’s a colossal defeat for SAD,” said Ashutosh Kumar, a professor of political science at Panjab University. In the last two decades, SAD has never faced such a tough political situation and the current rout will have far-reaching consequences, he added.
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He said the poll results will raise questions on the functioning of Sukhbir Singh Badal, the deputy chief minister of the state and president of SAD, from three key stakeholders—the people, the party and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the body that is responsible for the management of gurdwaras.
“Besides, a SAD without power may go back to its ethnic agenda, which won’t be good for the state and mainstream politics,” Kumar said over phone from Chandigarh.
The state went to polls in a single phase on 4 February and recorded 78.6% polling against 78.57% in the 2012 elections.
Other than two-term anti-incumbency, an aggressive campaign by the Congress led by Amarinder Singh and entry of Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab may lead to the impending defeat for SAD.
“The three-corner election has put Punjab in an interesting spot. Since AAP is a new player, they do not suffer from image issues, and many of those who did not vote for SAD went to AAP,” said Ghanshyam Dev, a Punjab-based political analyst. The defeat will, perhaps, also pull down SAD’s influence in national politics and within the ruling NDA in New Delhi, Dev added.
For the political career of 89-year-old Badal, the SAD patriarch and state chief minister, it may sound the death knell. “He is in his sunset years, and the defeat means the end of his political career,” said Kumar.
The senior Badal, who rose from the position of a village sarpanch to a five-time chief minister, has a political career spanning 70 years.
The senior Badal became the CM for the first time in 1970, he was the youngest CM in India, and now when his political career is perhaps coming to an end, he will be the oldest CM.
He has been credited with bringing sanity to politics in Punjab, Dev said. However, he faced severe criticism in the last few years for not being able to curb several socio-economic problems in the state such as growing drug addiction and corruption.
