As the results of the recently-held parliamentary elections will be doled out on Thursday, the winners in Punjab will takes it all — not just the seats in the Lok Sabha but the prestige and honour that was involved in the high-staked ballot battle.
The warm political winds blowing across the State will bring more than just victory for the candidates in fray and also for the parties they represent. It will rather determine the fate and stature of political parties standing tall behind their candidates, other than the top leaders who were steering the bandwagons of their respective outfits.
Already witnessing a political storm, not even the political pundits can swear whether the winds of change will sweep the well entrenched candidates off their feet, and bring in the new ones in these constituencies. Or else, the tempest will subside into a lull without uprooting the trees.
With the Shiromani Akali Dal’s power couple in fray, the stakes are high for the state’s regional party; while its ally — the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) — has sent across a message that it was taking Punjab seriously after 2017 assembly polls debacle by cautiously choosing to field Sunny Deol and Union Minister Hardeep Puri.
For the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, under whose captainship the Congress swept the State just about two years back, it is a prestige battle besides his popularity test. In addition, the results would appreciate or reject the Congress Government’s policies and programmes in the State after its two-year in power.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which stunned the traditional political players in 2014 but failed to keep up the momentum in these five years, is looking for a repeat of its previous performance.
But, it is the fourth front — the Punjab Democratic Alliance (PDA) comprising six political outfits with some coming into being just few months ahead polls — is eyeing to do what AAP did in 2014 with a strong-footing in Patiala, Faridkot, and Khadoor Sahib constituencies.
Earlier, Punjab’s political battleground has always witnessed more or less direct contest between the two major arch rivals — SAD-BJP combine and the Congress. But, with the emergence of AAP in 2014 general elections and formation of a maha-gathbandhan under the banner of PDA, the contest in many high profile assembly segments has become out-of-the-ordinary.
BATTLE OF SURVIVAL FOR AKALIS
For SAD, which was pushed into the background with just about 15 seats in the 117-member House after ruling the State for a decade, 2019 elections is the battle of its political survival.
And that was why, its president Sukhbir Badal decided to throw his hat in the electoral ring from Ferozepur — a known Akali bastion, besides re-nominating his Union Minister wife Harsimrat Badal from Bathinda eyeing a hattrick despite not-so-favourable reports.
After a resounding defeat in 2017 state polls, SAD was relegated to distant third, even losing the coveted post of the Leader of Opposition to the nascent AAP. In an apparent attempt to reclaim what it lost in 2017, the party fielded the top guns — Sukhbir, Harsimrat, Bibi Jagir Kaur, Parminder Singh Dhindsa, Charanjit Singh Atwal, Prem Singh Chandumjra, among others — on the 10 seats it contests in alliance with BJP.
Besides other seats, Ferozepur and Bathinda are the most important for the SAD because of the Badals, and winning these two would be enough to catapult it back in the state’s political game. Otherwise, a loss on any of the two seats would leave it struggling for saving face.
BJP’S ATTEMPT OF REVIVAL IN PUNJAB
Always playing a second fiddle to its ally in Punjab with just three seats in the Lok Sabha and 23 in the state assembly, the saffron party has given enough indications to show that this border state is high on its priority list.
It took its time to choose its candidates. And when it did, it threw one surprise after another. Moreover, it started preparing and strategising for the elections at an early stage, giving it ample time to chalk out its line of attack carefully besides mobilising the party cadre.
BJP pull out all the stops to take Bollywood action her Sunny Deol on board — a decision which has not only gave the much-needed push to its campaign, but also that of the Akali Dal. Besides, it has also fielded an “outsider” Sikh face and the Union Minister Hardeep Puri from the prestigious Amritsar seat.
PRESTIGE BALLOT BATTLE: MORE FOR CAPT THAN CONG
The 2019 general elections is the battle of prestige more for Capt Amarinder than for the Congress party for more than one reason. Apart from a popularity test of his two-year-old government, the winning and losing of candidates would also has an impact on Capt Amarinder’s standing in the party as it was his choice that prevailed in selection of candidates.
As the campaign committee head, Capt Amarinder toured across the State campaigning for all candidates. However, he made an extra effort to ensure the victory of his wife Preneet Kaur in their citadel, Patiala, which she lost in 2014 to Dr Dharamvir Gandhi when Capt Amarinder was busy contesting against BJP stalwart Arun Jaitley in Amritsar.
A win would, combating strong anti-incumbency, reinforce its stature in the state politics, besides giving a stamp of approval to the programmes and policies of his government.
DECIMATED AAP LOST TRACK
Marred with defections and rebellion by its legislators, AAP has lost what it achieved in 2014. It emerged on the state’s political scene with a bang by winning four seats, but failed to maintain the same force in these five years.
Two of its MPs parted ways and are now the part of different political outfits. Eight of its total 20 legislators rebelled, with two went on to form a new political outfit, two shifted their loyalties towards the Congress, while the remaining campaigned against the party while still being its part.
In 2017, AAP was seen as a possible alternative to the state’s traditional parties. But post 2017, it disintegrated with little patience. Now, party’s state unit chief Bhagwant Mann is leading a fight for party’s political survival.
PDA EYEING TO DO WHAT AAP DID IN 2014
Providing a new alternative in Punjab, PDA turned the contest into a multi-cornered fight on almost all seats. Comprising several splinter groups — AAP rebel MLA Sukhpal Khaira’s Punjab Ekta Party, Bains brothers’ Lok Insaaf Party, Dr Gandhi’s Nawan Punjab Party, besides Bahujan Samaj Party and the Left parties, PDA is expecting to do what AAP did in 2014.
In fact, its candidates has been getting massive support in some of the constituencies including Bibi Paramjit Kaur Khalra in Khadoor Sahib, Master Baldev Singh Jaiton in Faridkot, and Dr Gandhi in Patiala — having the potential of stunning the traditional parties.
MAIN ISSUES
Religion has remained the main issue in this election with the ruling Cingres sin ounab taking on the akalis for their alleged involvement in sacrilege and related firing cases, the SAD-BJP combine targeted the Congress on the issue of 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
Besides, the SAD-BJP leader also tried to cash in on the BJP-led Central Government’s decision on opening of the Kartarpur Sahib corridor. This time, the serious issues like drug menace, sand mafia, development, farm distress, unemployment took a backseat.
