Steps initiated by the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Punjab Government in the last two months, after a poor show in the lok Sabha polls, will be put to test during August 21 Assembly by-elections to Talwandi Sabo and Patiala.
Stunned by the lok Sabha election results and origination of the new-sprung Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab, the SAD-BJP combined Government had initiated several “corrective” steps within these over two months time.
Starting from launching a comprehensive campaign to tighten the noose around the drug peddlers, coupled with detoxifying the addicts, the Government has put in order its civil and police administrative set up by ordering mass transfers and carrying out surprise checks.
This was not all! The State Government also took u-turns and made required changes in some of its “unpopular” decisions to counter people’s anguish they demonstrated by voting against SAD-BJP combine candidates on seven out of 13 parliamentary seats in the State.
Despite being the ruling party in the State, along with the current anti-Congress wave and Modi-tsunami sweeping the nation, the alliance could manage to bag just six seats with the BJP improving its previous tally of one seat to two.
What alerted the SAD was its dwindling vote-share, that has come down from 34.73 per cent in 2012 Assembly polls, to 26.3 per cent in 2014 lok Sabha polls, in just two years of returning to power. On the other hand, BJP’s vote share has increased from 7.18 per cent in 2012 to 8.7 in 2014 polls.
Assessment of the SAD-BJP’s poll performance revealed that issues like mounting drug menace, alleged involvement of Akali leaders in drug trade, tax burden on people mainly property tax, shortage and high prices of sand and gravel, role of halqa in-charges, deteriorating law and order situation, VAT refunds, among other things, led to the alliance’s poor show.
All these issues were also pointed by the BJP’s poll review committee, headed by party stalwart Balramji Dass Tandon. Sensing the anti-government approach adopted by the State’s electorate against the ruling combine, the alliance Government first decided to have a re-look at its several decisions, besides conducting a revamping exercise of the party.
Among others, the SAD-led Government withdrew ‘advance tax on stock’ after stiff opposition by the BJP. SAD has decided to restructure the party organisation, and considering to do away with the system of halqa in-charges.
With the formation of “favourable” NDA Government at the Centre, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal made sure to “proactively” take up all the issues concerning states with the concerned Union Ministers almost every week. He, in fact, chalked out his schedule of meeting Ministers in the national capital, and attending office here.
Badal also asked his Ministers and bureaucrats to prepare comprehensive plans to seek maximum funds from the Centre. However, the Union Budget turned out to be a “huge disappointment” for the State Government with Punjab getting no special industrial package or loan waiver from the Centre — long pending demands of the state.
As the drugs issue turned out to be a major one during 2014 general election, Punjab government wasted no time to wage a war against the same. As Chief Minister proposed twin strategy — stopping supply line and treating addicts —to tackle the growing drug menace, his deputy son Sukhbir Badal came out with a “comprehensive” plan to eradicate drug menace by involving police and civil machinery, people, doctors, social scientists, among others.
Punjab State Narcotics Control Bureau was set up, besides Narcotics Prevention and Control Board to oversee its function. In addition, state-level Drug Advisory Committee was also formed. Moreover, Punjab State Board for Drug De-addiction and Rehabilitation, coupled with Drug De-Addiction and Rehabilitation Societies in each district, was also constituted.
The police has also made series of recoveries and arrests busting supply chains of heroin, smack and other narcotic drugs, raiding illegal chemist shops alongside drug inspectors to check the sale of the intoxicants.
This is not all! The State Government also started a massive drive to rehabilitate drug addicts by administering free medicines to them in drug de-addiction centers across the state. The Government is in the process of setting up a rehabilitation centre for drug de-addiction in each district, besides constituting five model Drug De-addiction Centres (DDCs).
The government’s decisions came after state cabinet Minister Bikram Singh Majithia was charge for his alleged involvement in drug mafia. Another Cabinet Minister Swaran Singh Phillaur stepped down after name of his son surfaced in the multi-crore drug scam. The situation became worse after the BJP also pointed its finger at SAD for patronizing drug mafia and peddlers.
Despite taking “corrective measures”, the ruling alliance is till under attack of the opposition for power shortage, mounting numbers of unemployed youth, inflation, among other things.
It has to be seen whether the State Government’s initiatives to improve its image, besides the State Government’s working, would benefit it during the Talwandi Sabo and Patiala Assembly by-elections.
Confident enough of winning the Talwandi Sabo seat that come under Badal’s home constituency Bathinda, the SAD-BJP combine has gone the AAP’s way in fielding a known local face and renowned social activist Bhagwan Das Juneja to attract Hindu votes from Patiala against former Union Minister Preneet Kaur, having 60 per cent Hindu voters.
SAD has fielded sitting Congress MlA Jeet Mohinder Singh Sidhu, who resigned from the Assembly’s membership before lok Sabha polls, from Talwandi Sabo, against Congress’ former Bathinda MlA Harminder Singh Jassi.