Close X
Monday, November 11, 2024
ADVT 
India

BJP-Akalis: Friends in Punjab, foes in Haryana

Darpan News Desk IANS, 09 Aug, 2014 08:26 AM
  • BJP-Akalis: Friends in Punjab, foes in Haryana
Sworn allies in Punjab for over three decades, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiromani Akali Dal are political foes in adjoining Haryana. Weird?
 
The BJP and the Akali Dal have been running an alliance government in Punjab since 2007. The Akalis are also part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Harsimrat Badal, from the Akali Dal, is a minister in the Narendra Modi government.
 
In Haryana, which goes to the polls later this year, the Akalis have, however, stitched an alliance with the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD).
 
The BJP, which has a tie-up with the Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC) led by Kuldeep Bishnoi, son of former chief minister Bhajan Lal, is all set to oppose the INLD-Akali Dal alliance and the ruling Congress.
 
The Akalis, especially its seniormost leader and Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, have put the BJP on a sticky wicket by siding with the INLD - and by raking up the row over the control of gurdwaras in Haryana.
 
In Punjab, Badal asserts that the alliance with the BJP is "forever". But the same does not hold true in Haryana.
 
With the BJP eyeing its first major electoral victory in Haryana's assembly polls, the controversy and violence associated with the control of Haryana gurdwaras could not have come at a worse time - just before the assembly elections.
 
The BJP national leadership had to, behind the scenes, restrain Badal recently from taking the gurdwaras matter too far as this could affect the BJP in the coming elections.
 
In the recent Lok Sabha polls, the BJP won seven of the 10 parliamentary seats in Haryana. This was the best performance by the BJP, which did not have a solid political base in Haryana.
 
The BJP had contested eight seats in the state.
 
The BJP's alliance partner, HJC, lost both the seats it contested, Hisar and Sirsa. The two seats were lost to INLD candidates who were supported by the Akali Dal.
 
In fact, the INLD candidate and winner of the Sirsa seat, Charanjit Singh Rori, was an Akali Dal legislator earlier.
 
On the Hisar seat, HJC president Kuldeep Bishnoi, whom the BJP had once projected as the future chief minister of the BJP-HJC alliance, lost by around 32,000 votes to INLD's Dushyant Chautala, great-grandson of former deputy prime minister Devi Lal.
 
Badal went and campaigned for the INLD candidates on both seats, which technically meant that he was opposing the BJP-HJC alliance.
 
Badal had tried, before the Lok Sabha polls, to forge an alliance between the BJP and the INLD, but the BJP leadership opted for the HJC.
 
The BJP and INLD have in the past been politically together and even ran an alliance government in Haryana.
 
For the BJP and the Akali Dal, political friendship seems to end at Punjab's border with Haryana.

MORE India ARTICLES

Kejriwal attacks Modi during Varanasi roadshow

Kejriwal attacks Modi during Varanasi roadshow
Surrounded by thousands of supporters, AAP candidate Arvind Kejriwal put up a show of strength here Friday, attacking his rival and BJP's prime ministerial aspirant Narendra Modi.

Kejriwal attacks Modi during Varanasi roadshow

CBI to probe Saradha scam, other ponzi schemes in Bengal, Odisha: SC

CBI to probe Saradha scam, other ponzi schemes in Bengal, Odisha: SC
In a setback to West Bengal government, the Supreme Court Friday handed over investigation into Saradha chit fund scam to the CBI saying that it would hold further investigation in all the cases including those where a charge sheet has been filed.

CBI to probe Saradha scam, other ponzi schemes in Bengal, Odisha: SC

Breaking Brahmin Monopoly: Hindu Temple To Have Women, Lower-Caste Priests

Breaking Brahmin Monopoly: Hindu Temple To Have Women, Lower-Caste Priests
Here's another traditional male bastion set to crumble. With a Supreme Court prod, the renowned 900-year old Vitthoba Temple in the pilgrim town of Pandharpur will script religious history when it appoints its first women priests as also priests from the backward classes as part of an inclusive mission.

Breaking Brahmin Monopoly: Hindu Temple To Have Women, Lower-Caste Priests

Sonia Gandhi's plane makes emergency landing

Sonia Gandhi's plane makes emergency landing
A private plane flying Congress president Sonia Gandhi was forced to make an emergency landing in Agra due to gusty winds and bad weather in New Delhi late Thursday, an official said Friday

Sonia Gandhi's plane makes emergency landing

Over 100,000 Indians studying in America

Over 100,000 Indians studying in America
With 113,813 Indians studying in America, India is second only to China with 290,133 students among more than a million international students enrolled in nearly 9,000 US schools, according to a new report.

Over 100,000 Indians studying in America

Judiciary, media best judges of 2002 riots: Modi

Judiciary, media best judges of 2002 riots: Modi
As far as the 2002 Gujarat riots were concerned, it is the judiciary, media and NGOs which should be left to draw conclusions, BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi said.

Judiciary, media best judges of 2002 riots: Modi