While the resignation of cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu from the Rajya Sabha and his possible exit from the party is seen as a setback for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is upbeat on expectations of his joining the party and giving it the much-needed “face” ahead of the Assembly polls in Punjab.
Mr. Sidhu’s resignation and probable political migration could change the course of politics in Punjab, setting the stage for a three-cornered fight between the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), the Congress and the AAP in the Assembly polls next year. As a standalone entity, the BJP is likely to be forced to take the back seat.
Political analysts told The Hindu that Mr. Sidhu’s decision is a setback for BJP as the party will lose a State-level leader.
“It's advantage AAP, if Mr. Sidhu joins the party..For the Congress, the electoral fight would get more challenging while for the BJP it is a set back. The BJP hardly has any charismatic leader beyond Mr. Sidhu,” said Pramod Kumar, senior political analyst and Director of Institute for Development and Communication in Chandigarh.
“AAP has been lacking a State-wide ‘face’ to steer the party. If Mr. Sidhu joins [the party] his ‘celebrity face’ will certainly help the AAP gain momentum,” he added.
Mr. Kumar, however, points out that the advantage for AAP would not come without problems. “Mr. Sidhu's inclusion could result in 'heart-burn' among senior leaders who have been working with aspirations of leading the party,” he said.
For the Congress party, which has been out of power in Punjab for the past nine years and is now pinning its hopes on the State for a national revival, these recent events will only make it's road to power more rocky.
Division of votes
The ruling Akalis, meanwhile, could heave a sigh of relief as the fight over the anti-incumbency votes could get divided among the AAP and the Congress, experts said.
“With the ruling Akali Dal-BJP coalition facing an anti-incumbency after over nine years in power, the Congress party in Punjab would have been the natural beneficiary, but if Mr. Sidhu joins the AAP, the challenge for the Congress to regain power may become stiff,” said Prof. Ronki Ram of Department of Political Science at the Panjab University.
“The Akalis will be happy if the anti-incumbency votes get divided among the Congress and the AAP,” he said.
