Eyeing new political front, SAD starts touching base with regional parties - Hindustan Times
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Eyeing new political front, SAD starts touching base with regional parties

Hindustan Times, Chandigarh | By, Chandigarh
Dec 08, 2020 12:48 AM IST

A three-member committee of the party comprising Rajya Sabha MP Balwinder Singh Bhundar, former Lok Sabha MP Prem Singh Chandumajra and former minister Sikandar Singh Maluka would be meeting leaders of all the parties to discuss the ongoing deadlock between farmers and the Centre over the three farm laws passed in the Parliament in September..

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has started touching base with all the regional parties other than Congress and the Bharatiya Janata party (BJP), which is running the show at the Centre, with the idea to forge a political alliance by forming a possible third front.

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A three-member committee of the party comprising Rajya Sabha MP Balwinder Singh Bhundar, former Lok Sabha MP Prem Singh Chandumajra and former minister Sikandar Singh Maluka would be meeting leaders of all the parties in this regard.

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The theme of the get-together is the ongoing deadlock between farmers and the Centre over the three farm laws passed in the Parliament in September.

“We are meeting Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sharad Pawar on December 9 in New Delhi and hope of a positive outcome by joining hands for the common cause of farmers,” said Chandumajra adding that there is confirmation from the leader for the meeting.

The same day, as Chandumajra said, he may meet Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav from whom a confirmation is awaited.

On Sunday, he met Maharashtra chief minister and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray over various issues related to “Centre’s interference into states’ rights”. Besides discussing the Centre-state relations, the two parties also decided to support the ongoing farmers’ protests together.

After having severed ties with its decades-old ally, the BJP, in September this year as a mark of protest against the new farm laws, the SAD has got stuck in political wilderness and to come out of that it has decided to meet all small parties who have a strong hold in their respective states.

According to Chandumajra, who is also the vice-president of the Akali party, leaders from all the key parties in the opposition are expected to meet in Delhi in the next couple of weeks to discuss the further action course. “All regional parties have shown enthusiasm and they want a political front to coordinate, for which the Akali Dal has come forward,” said Chandumajra.

“We have already held meetings with a few regional parties and are meeting leaders from DMK, TRS, TMC with the common intention of opposing the Centre’s intervention in the states’ rights,” the senior leader added.

“The Centre has been suppressing the rights of the states over subjects including law and order, agriculture and finances. Federalism has taken a severe hit under the BJP regime,” said party’s spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema, adding that the fiscal condition of states has been bad after the GST was implemented and now the farm laws framed by the Centre are a direct interference into farmers’ rights.

Badal senior to intervene if solution not out by Dec 9

The SAD has also decided to bring party’s stalwart Parkash Singh Badal to a political centre-stage if the Union government fails to reach a solution for the protesting farmers by December 9. Their protests at the borders of the national capital entered its 12th day on Monday.

A meeting between farm bodies and the Centre is fixed on Wednesday (December 9).

As farmer union have raised their stocks and have demanded to scrap off all three laws, the Centre has offered amendments. “We have decided to bring all regional parties on board for a joint meeting to be chaired by Badal Saab (Parkash Singh Badal) in case the deadlock between farmers and the Centre is not resolved. We will discuss farmers’ issues and other matters with these parties so as to find a way and take the matter forward. This will mount pressure on the Centre,” said Bhundar.

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  • ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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    Gurpreet Singh Nibber is an Assistant Editor with the Punjab bureau. He covers politics, agriculture, power sector, environment, Sikh religious affairs and the Punjabi diaspora.

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