Sidhu’s anti-Akali outburst snowballs into a major issue

Former MP and senior BJP leader from Punjab Navjot Singh Sidhu’s recent outburst against the leadership of the alliance partner, Shiromani Akali Dal, has snowballed into a major issue and could caste a shadow on the relations between the two parties. The BJP leadership in the State as well as the Centre has preferred to remain silent for the time being.

Strong reservations

While Mr. Sidhu was the first leader to openly criticise the Akali Dal for forging an alliance with the Indian National Lok Dal in the Haryana Assembly polls, other BJP leaders have expressed strong reservations in private. They have objected to Akali rank and file descending in various constituencies of Haryana to campaign and spoil the chances of the BJP candidates.

“Akalis are campaigning in constituencies where they do not have a candidate and the party has no presence,” one of them said expressing his belief that party high command would review its alliance with the Akali Dal.

Meanwhile, reacting to allegations of betrayal raised by Mr. Sidhu, the Akali Dal through its general secretary and member of the core committee Maheshinder Singh Grewal said that not very long ago during the Lok Sabha polls, the former had back-stabbed his mentor Arun Jaitley, who lost from Amritsar.

“It was shocking that Sidhu, who had not been honest to his own party, was trying to teach lessons to the Akali Dal,” he said advising the BJP leader to maintain decorum and not treat political speeches as part of the comedy show on a TV channel in which he figured.

Aam Admi Party MP from Sangrur Bhagwant Mann while interacting with reporters in Amritsar on Friday, dared Mr. Sidhu to follow up his words with action by getting his wife, who is a BJP legislator, to resign as chief parliamentary secretary in the alliance government. Mr. Mann utilised the opportunity to take potshots at the Akali Dal’s leadership, especially Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for changing allies every 200 kms.

“In Punjab he is with the BJP, in Haryana he aligns with INLD, in Uttar Pradesh we see him with Mulayam Singh Yadav, in Bihar he supports Nitish Kumar and in Tamil Nadu his alliance is with Jayalalitha,” he asked the five times Chief Minister to clarify his stance.