Assailed by BJP MP Navjot Sidhu for “sidetracking” the saffron brigade, the SAD is making fervent attempts to ward off all such attacks by pleasing its alliance partner. In the process, the party is laying its bet on lost horses of the BJP.
In just about two days, the SAD-led State Government appointed two BJP leaders who failed to secure the mandate of the people during 2012 state assembly polls. Rajinder Bhandari was appointed as vice-chairman of Punjab State Planning Board on Friday — the post he was holding during the previous SAD-BJP regime. Former Minister Tikshan Sud too has been accommodated in the state government by appointing him as the Political Advisor of the Chief Minister.
Both the leaders have been given the cabinet rank. The balancing act by the SAD is also evident from the fact that the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal this time has two political advisors, from SAD and BJP. The development is also significant as Sud’s tenure as the Forest and Industries minister during the previous term was not without controversies.
It is believed that two back-to-back appointments of BJP leaders was the result of Sidhu’s outburst a day before, and Punjab Government’s cautionary attempt to please its ally. Sidhu, a day before, had lashed out at Punjab Government and the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, for diverting funds from his Amritsar constituency to other cities. He, and earlier his MlA wife Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu, had alleged that BJP leaders are playing second fiddle to the SAD, and not raising its voice if having opposite viewpoint on any issue.
Alarmed by Sidhu’s outburst, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal take no time to start distributing the power to some leaders from BJP who could prove potential threat to the party like Sidhu. Besides the two leaders, some more appointments from the saffron brigade are also in the offing. State BJP president Kamal Sharma has submitted the list of names of party leaders to be appointed as chairpersons of different boards or corporations and improvement trusts and other important offices with the Chief Minister.
Sharma met Badal to submit a list of 22 BJP leaders to be appointed at different offices as chairpersons. In the BJP quota, there are 14 improvement trusts and five districts planning committees. Available information suggests that Dr Subash Verma is expected to be the chairman of ludhiana Improvement Trust, Vijay Sampla to be reappointed as chairman of Punjab Khadi Board. Shakti Sharma to be given the charge of PSIEC chairman and Vinod Sharma has been recommended to be chairperson of Punjab Sewerage Board. Harjit Grewal is likely to be reappointed as chairman of Punjab Infotech.