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Atonement over, Akali Dal leaders gears up for civic body polls
A senior SAD leader said there is still a lot of ambiguity as to way ahead but it’s certain that the party will put its best foot forward in the civic body polls.
With Akal Takht’s on Friday accepting Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and former deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal’s atonement, the party has shifted its focus on its next political challenge — the civic body polls scheduled for December 21.
The atonement may have ended nearly a decade-long chapter of upheaval for the Badals as they were blamed for the 2015 sacrilege incidents during the SAD government with former ally Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Since then the party has been on a downward spiral and has seen his legislator strength in the state assembly reduced to just three.
The biggest task for the Akali leadership will be to find a way to bounce back and gain the confidence of its cadre and core panthic voters.
It will be interesting to see which party leaders will be part of the campaign for SAD, which has already announced its participation in the civic body polls, after opting out of recently concluded bypolls on four assembly seats.
A senior SAD leader said there is still a lot of ambiguity as to way ahead but it’s certain that the party will put its best foot forward in the civic body polls.
“Whatever the results may be, our party is ready out for the electoral battle,” said a SAD leader on the condition of anonymity, adding that these polls might not be the barometer to judge Akali Dal’s performance as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government is using unfair means to win the elections.
Harcharan Bains, the principal adviser to SAD, said: “He (Sukhbir Badal) has undergone punishment by owning all the mistakes. Now he is not undergoing atonement. He performed sewa with all humility and it was visible to everyone. It will certainly have an impact on the people,” Bains said.
Bains added that this (Sukhbir’s atonement) will instil more confidence among the cadres.
“Earlier the cadre was defensive but now (after atonement) they found their voice,” Bains added, saying that it is difficult to comment on how soon things will start to change for the party at the ground level.
Gurpartap Singh Wadala, who remained convener of the Akal Dal Sudhar Lehar (reforms movement), said there needs to be clarity on political punishment given by the Akal Takht which had asked the SAD working committee to accept the resignations of all the leaders including the president Sukhbir Singh Badal.
“The party’s reforms and re-organisation should begin with a membership drive and making delegates elect the president,” Wadala said adding that Takht’s edict should be implemented in true spirit.
On Akal Takht’s directive, rebels on December 9, announced the dismantling of their reforms movement.
The Takht on December 2 had also constituted a seven-member committee led by SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami to facilitate reforms however the party has shown reluctance to accept Sukhbir’s resignation and initiate the reforms as they apprehend that the religious body (Akal Takht) directed reforms may lead to de-recognition of the party for losing secular credentials.
SAD has already conveyed their fear of de-recognition to the Akal Takht jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh through Dhami, who reportedly has asked for copies of the relevant law to ponder over the situation.
Patch-up talks on
Referring to a meeting held between the rebel and SAD leaders on November 30, a party leader revealed that talks for a patch-up with rebels are also going on.
The meeting was attended by the party’s working president Balwinder Singh Bhundar and leader Bikram Singh Majithia for SAD, while the rebel group was represented by Sikandar Singh Maluka and Prem Singh Chandumajra. “It has been decided that both the groups will not level allegations against each other so that in future a patch up becomes impossible. Another round of meetings will be held as the atonement is over,” said a leader adding that during two weeks both sides have adhered to the decision.
