Bhagwant Mann enjoys public confidence, acts wisely to absorb 'outside' interference
CHANDIGARH: While several questions are being raised in public about the internal conflits in Aam Aadmi Paty(AAP) in Punjab and the over indulgence of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the state's affairs, the opposition parties have failed to match the grit of Bhagwant Mann government in matter of projecting its image in the public.
AAP government seems extracting its strength from the weaknesses of the opposition parties mainly Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal and BJP.During the first two years of its rule, the AAP government has hardly faced any challenge from the divided Shiromani Akali Dal and faction ridden Congress party. The BJP is too busy setting its house in order.
AAP government seems to have learned politics faster than the Congress and AAP and tapped the weak nerve of opposition leaders who indulged in corruption during previous governments. Several former ministers in Congress and Akali Dal are on the radar of AAP government. It is understood that the tainted stock in the opposition parties has weakned the resolve against the ruling eastablisgment.
The opposition leaders like PPCC president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring and SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal are struggling to come out of aftershocks of their defeat in the last assembly elections. For them to keep the party together is bigger challenge than playing the role of opposition.
The baffled opposition parties seems to have lost the track and political wisdom while reacting against decisions of AAP government. Bouncing back on every decision of the government exposes them in public. Moreover their reactions are limited to newspaper statements and TV debates. On ground it is free run for the AAP government.
In the last assembly elections, the SAD(Badal) could win only four seats of Vidhan Sabha and Congress has won 18 seats and BJP only two in the 117 member Vidhan Sabha. AAP formed government with 92 seats to its kitty. This was poorest performance of Congress, SAD and BJP in the electoral history of Punjab.
It is believed that the people of Punjab had voted for a change and gave an overwhelming mandate in favour of AAP for a single reason that respective governments of SAD-BJP alliance and Congress failed to perform their duty. The performance of AAP government will only be judged on completion of its five year term.
Ata time when Lok Sabha elections are few months away, the SAD(Badal) president Sukhbir Badal is trying to regroup the different factions of Akali Dal. People of Punjab have voted against the Badal family and not necessarily against the Akali Dal. The efforts of Sukhbir Badal to bring all factions under one roof would succeed only if he acts honestly and answer all the questions people have in concieved against his family members part of government.
SAD faced wrath of Sikh community due to some of controversial decisions of Parkash Singh Badal government. Sukhbir Badal has though apologised for incidents of sacrilege occured during SAD-BJP government but he has no answer to an apology given by Akal Takht to dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Raheem. It is alleged that Akal Takht Jathedar had acted under pressure from Sukhbir Badal. He has also not given any justification for the appointment of controversial police officer Sumedh Singh Saini as DGP Punjab despite opposition by Sikh organisations. He also have no answer for patronising former DGP late Mohammed Izhar Alam who allegedly formed 'Alam Saina' and eliminated many innocent Sikh youth during militancy.
In fact there is hardly any big challenge to Sukhbir Badal from Akali factions except SAD(Sanyukt) led by Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa. The SAD(Mann) led by Simranjit Singh Mann has dedicated cadre of radical Sikhs aligned to the demand of Khalistan. Mann is also not ready to work under the umbrella of Badals.
The Dhindsa group is confined to certain pockets in Malwa region and parts of Majha. it is formed in protest against the leadership of Sukhbir Badal. Before leaving SAD(Badal) Dhindsa and other leaders like Bibi Jagir Kaur have demanded resignation of Sukhbir Badal to save Akali Dal. It appears that after Delhi Akali Dall joining hands with Sukhbir Badal, the merger of Dhindsa group and other small factions would also merge with Badal group and it could serve the purpose of presenting a united face of SAD. The unity in the Akali Dal may pave way for an alliance with BJP.
The Congress party had lost the assembly elections due to all the evils which Capt Amarinder Singh inherited from Parkash Singh Badal government. The rampat corruption, illegal mining, drug menace and influence of BJP in Capt Amarinder Singh government and groupism in the party became reasons for its debacle.
The Navjot Sidhu is most important factor for the Congress party. Sidhu has divided the Congress into the honest and corrupt groups within the party. For the rest of the party leaders, Navjot Sidhu is a big nuisance. The party high command has failed to break the stalemate which is continued even now. Prolonged stand off between Sidhu and the majority group led by CLP leader Partap Singh Bajwa and PPCC president Amarinder Singh Raja warring is jeoparding the future prospects of Congress party.
Aam Aadmi Party(AAP) is still a dominating party in the state despite many question marks on its performance. Bhagwant Mann has major challenge of showing results in the coming Lok Sabha polls. People of Punjab have by and large accepted Bhagwant Mann in the commanding role. While Bhagwant Mann is paying wisely to absorb outside interference, his government is successful in projecting the high image in public, the opposition has failed to break the public preception about Bhagwant Mann and could not kickstart a public debate on issues of law and order, illegal mining and drugs.