The age-old maxim of ‘one’s loss is another’s gain’ did not apparently come true in 2016 for the political parties in Punjab. The year saw almost all the major political parties lose something without really gaining anything.
The year saw prominent leaders leaving their parties, shifting loyalties, changing stands, embracing rivals, and what not! It was not just the voters who remained confused but also the politicians.
In fact, none of the major political party could project itself to be the “right choice” for the electorate.
The ruling Shiromani Akali Dal and BJP combine made last ditch effort to consolidate its dwindling graph by doling out sops at the eleventh hour. The Congress party went all out to rise from the ashes under its new party chief Capt Amarinder Singh, taking tough stand on various issues¸ including the Satluj-Yamuna link (SYl) canal wherein all the party MlAs resigned en masse.
Adding a third dimension to Punjab’s battle for the ballot, Aam Aadmi Party emerged as a “strong” alternative despite a series of controversies and self-goals by its leaders that tarnished its spotless image. It was, in fact, a year of rise, fall, and rise of AAP.
The “fourth front” never really emerged but the fragments of the unbreakable political parties surfaced as a force to reckon with.
Even as the issues of drug menace, law and order, farmers’ suicide, mafias, remained in public eye, it was the “sensitive” SYl issue that took the centre-stage at the year’s fag end with the Supreme Court giving its judgement against Punjab.
In protest, all 42 Congress legislators, and Amritsar MP Capt Amarinder resigned from the membership of the respective Houses. The ruling coalition, among other things, denotified land acquired for SYl canal’s construction and returned to its original owners, besides holding a day’s special assembly session and passing resolutions. Amidst this, AAP maintained a strategic silence.
The year 2016, started on a surprising note, when the Pathankot airbase was attacked on the second day of the New Year. The last month saw an abysmal jailbreak case at Nabha’s high security jail.
SAD’s WEAPON: ‘lAST MOMENT’ PRE-POll SOPS
Under attack from all sides on multifarious issues, the ruling SAD-BJP combine did not waver to open its “empty” coffers to dole out pre-poll sops from both hands.
Making a frantic attempt before implementation of model code of conduct, the ruling coalition, led by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, regularized 27000-plus contractual or ad-hoc employees, doubled old age pension, launched free pilgrimage scheme, carried out major recruitment exercise, distributed cycles, free utensils, erected memorials, and what not.
Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal made every possible effort to exhibit the development card, though on the face of it, to fight against the strong two term anti-incumbency wave.
The ruling alliance was censured for its failure to control the deteriorating law and order situation in the state, stopping dalit atrocities, besides checking sacrilege incidents, addressing farmers’ woes, curbing drug menace, besides doing nothing for saving state’s water.
It was hit hard by the dissenters, including sitting MlAs, who threw the SAD’s “scales” to hold the Congress’ “hand”.
CONGRESS: RISING FROM ASHES
With the Patiala Royal back on throne in Punjab, the Congress party emerged as a strong opposition.
Fully charged up, Capt Amarinder took on board political strategist Prashant Kishore and launched special programmes like ‘Coffee with Captain’ to come in direct contact with the state’s youth, ‘Halke Vich Kaptan’ his mass contact programme.
In a clear cut departure from his style, Capt Amarinder was seen among the people, meeting everyone, listening to their problems, assuring solutions, while also challenging the powers-that-be, barging in police stations to protest against Akalis’ high-handedness, and issuing stern warnings to the officials in his characteristic style.
With elections approaching, it adopted an open arms policy for widening its base. Congress wasted no time to throw open its doors to the leaders unhappy with their own party. At its poaching best, Capt Amarinder inducted six sitting MlAs of the ruling alliance, including five from Akali Dal, besides several other senior leaders from AAP, SAD and BJP jumping on Congress’ bandwagon.
Cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu, who kept everyone guessing since he stepped down as Rajya Sabha member in July, is all set to join the Congress, with his wife, Dr Navjot Kaur, already on board.
Treading cautiously, Congress is making possible effort of not repeating the mistakes it made in 2012. Capt Amarinder took a stand against dynasty politics putting in force ‘one family, one seat’ rule. He also ensured that candidates’ selection process started well before and not delayed till the final moment.
Combating ‘anti-Congress’ sentiment at the national level, Capt Amarinder believed that his work during his tenure as Chief Minister, coupled with his magnetism and party’s “vision” for Punjab would pave way for Congress government in 2017.
CONTROVERSIES NOTWITHSTANDING, AAP EMERGING STRONG
A force to reckon in Punjab after it defied nationwide Modi wave to win four seats out of 13 in the state during 2014 lok Sabha polls, AAP has gradually lost the steam by apparently wooing one controversy after another.
Perceived to be a rising force in Punjab, AAP’s popularity has forced the traditional political parties to amend their strategies accordingly. However, the back-to-back self-goals by the AAP has provided enough ammunition to its rivals, who have all along been criticizing it for lacking experienced and mature leaders.
Starting the 2016 on a high note by putting up an impressive show at Maghi Mela, AAP’s fall started with the release of party’s first manifesto for youth in the holy city of Amritsar. AAP was targeted for superimposing its election symbol ‘broom’ over the image of Sikhs’ holiest shrine, the Golden Temple; a journalist-turned-AAP leader Ashish Khetan raised the storm by equating holy scriptures, including Guru Granth Sahib, with party’s youth manifesto.
Then came the party’s first list of candidates that stirred up a hornet’s nest — the voices of dissidence can be heard loud and clear, party’s state convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur parting ways, allegations of ignoring volunteers, a video bomb showing Chhotepur accepting “bribe” money from ticket-seeker.
Undeterred, party’s national convener and delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal led from the front and campaigned in the state holding series of rallies and taking the Badals, Majithia and Capt Amarinder head on.
To put up a tough contest, AAP fielded its prominent leaders against Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal and Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia from their respective bastions — in an apparent of turning the 2017 polls into a direct fight between SAD-BJP and AAP while pushing the Congress out of contest.
Despite so many controversies, AAP has a huge support base who believed that all allegations were handiwork of its rivals. Also, it seems to be getting a large chunk of anti incumbency votes, the way it got in the 2014 lok Sabha polls.
SIDHUS GONE, BJP UNAFFECTED
The saffron brigade, which has all along been harping on the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s work following 2014 parliamentary polls’ success, believed that it actually did not need anyone, even it was the firebrand Sidhu couple.
Even as the former BJP MP Sidhu kept the saffron party on toes for months together before finally biding adieu, the party maintained that the development hardly affected it in Punjab.
The party preferred to lie low and continue its works, under its new president Vijay Sampla, who is also the Union Minister. Party’s prominent dalit face, the BJP made a bid to cash in on the Dalit community, which has a significant presence particularly in the state’s Doaba region including Hoshiarpur, Nawanshahr and Kapurthala which constitutes around 38 per cent of the total votes.
BJP’s friction with its alliance partner, SAD, particularly for ignoring it, also remained a point of concern for the alliance giving birth to the speculations of going solo for 2017. However, both allies, time and again, made it clear that the alliance would remain intact and polls would be contested in alliance.
FOURTH FRONT: NOT REAllY
The “fourth front” remained a topic of animated talk throughout the year and its emergence appeared certain with Navjot Singh Sidhu tying up with Bains Brothers (Balwinder Bains and Simarjit Bains), and Pargat Singh to form Awaaz-e-Punjab. But his decision not to contest the elections proved counter-productive with Bains Brothers parting ways to join AAP giving the party a fillip.
When Sidhu launched Awaaz-e-Punjab front, it was expected to emerge as strong fourth front with other rebels and dissenters coming on the ship. But, it was hushed much before it could make any noise on the state political stage.
AAP rebels launch their own separate outfits like Sucha Singh Chhotepur floating Apna Punjab Party, Dr Dharamvira Gandhi forming lok Punjab Front, political-sociologist and former AAP leader Manjit Singh led Democratic Swaraj Party, besides Volunteers’ Front Punjab comprising all dissenters of AAP. Congress’ former MP Jagmeet Brar, who was shown the door by the grand old party for indiscipline, also announced his party, Punjab lok Hit Abhiyan, which he eventually merged with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Benerjee’s Trinamool Congress.
With so many parties, led by so many leaders, it is only adding to the voters’ confusion.