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Akali Dal must generate perception of being main challenger to the ruling Congress, not AAP

 

 


 

Time for Akali Dal to challenge ruling Congress as main Opposition

Ground Zero

Jagtar Singh

The last day of the 2-day session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha on November 11 is likely to set the tone for the forthcoming February 2022 election in the  state.

It is crucial time for the Shiromani Akali Dal to replace the Aam Aadmi Party as the main opposition to give the signal to the people in the state that it  would mainly be contest between the Congress and the Akali Dal with the AAP being at the margins of the electoral matrix.

It would  depend mainly on the strategy and tactics of the party that has the glorious record of a century of being the  voice of the people and dictating the religio-political dynamic  of not only the region but also the country at times.

It is pertinent to mention that the AAP had relegated the Akali Dal to the third position in the 2017 election but collapsed due to  internal contradictions.

The AAP has been delivered a shock a day before the Assembly session with its MLA Rupinder Kaur Rubi jumping over to the Congress. Several of its MLAs have earlier deserted the party and numerically, the strength of the party stands reduced in the Assembly.

The AAP is no more in a position to pose critical challenge to the Congress and this slot is waiting for the Akali Dal to recapture it.

The Congress, despite the unprecedented massive mandate in 2017, just failed to perform. It is interesting that both the Congress and AAP were hit by the same virus of internal contradictions and both these parties faced no challenge from outside.

That the Congress  leadership decided to replace its captain of the ship Capt Amarinder Singh in the high seas is in itself is indictment of this party and its government. The Congress by effecting a change itself confessed its stark failure. It is this dimension that the Akali Dal has to articulate and emphasise repeatedly beginning tomorrow, from the House itself.

Not only that. The internal contradictions further intensified in the Congress with the replacement of Capt Amarinder Singh by Charanjit Singh Channi. He has been main opposition not from the Akali Dal or the AAP but from PPCC chief Navjot Singh Sidhu and his predecessor Sunil Jakhar. Both have failed to compromise to the fact that they were ignored over a low profile Channi who has now proved his  popularity in his own style of functioning.

While posing itself as the main challenger to the Congress, the Akali Dal should take the necessary precaution of avoiding confrontation with the struggling farmers who are fighting not only for their own survival but also of the common consumer who would be hit hard with the corporatisation of the food grain trade. Historically, it is the Akali Dal that used to be the representative of the farmers while the Congress had the image of being  an urban party.

The situation has changed. The Akali Dal has been turning more and more inclusive over the years and has also suffered some damage in the process. The core strength of the Akali Dal, however, continues to be the same dynamics despite the transformation. But then the transformation has to be a balancing act rather than creating the perception that the party is getting alienated from its core support base.

The immediate challenge before the party is to emerge as the main opposition and blunt the perception of the AAP being the main challenger to the Congress.

It is for the party leadership to fine tune its strategy accordingly.

Of course, the party carries the baggage of Bargari sacrilege and this issue has returned to the centre stage mainly due to power struggle within the Congress.

But then it is time for the party to reinvent itself in the short time for which it would have to strengthen bonds with the core areas.

 


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