The more things change, the more they remain the same—at least around election times in Punjab. The Lok Sabha polls slated for May 19 will thus see traditional friends, the Shiromani Akali Dal and the Bharatiya Janata Party, take on their traditional foe, the Indian National Congress.
The BJP's state unit was extremely unhappy with the way the senior ally, the SAD, treated them when the SAD-BJP alliance was ruling the state. But when the Congress led by indefatigable Capt. Amarinder Singh trounced the alliance in March 2017, these sounds of unhappiness died naturally. The SAD went its own way, as did the BJP. The two parties have been together only in sharing power; they have never really been a combined force while in opposition.
In fact, the main opposition in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha now is the Aam Aadmi Party.
Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has naturally brushed aside all suggestions of the Congress joining hands with the AAP. As of now, the grand old party will fight all the 13 parliamentary seats on its own. Sources say some of the left leaders as well as the BSP leaders have been making overtures to the Congress, but in their individual capacity and not as parties.
“This can at best result in some of them joining the ruling party,” said Congress leader Jagmohan Singh Kang.
The chief minister also did not seem in any hurry to plug for candidates of his choice, saying there was enough time, and that he would visit the party high command to discuss it.
There are indications that the party's top leaders may focus their energies in campaigning in states where the local leadership has yet to stand on their feet firmly, faced with a strong BJP. Punjab may just have token star leaders from outside while Capt. Amarinder Singh and former cricketer-turned-minister Navjot Singh Sidhu will cover all the constituencies in Punjab.
Sources in the ruling party indicated that “one or two” could be in the contest for the first time.
The Shiromani Akali Dal and the BJP leadership have met and decided that they will share the 13 constituencies among themselves, as they always have: SAD will contest from 10 seats and the BJP three.
Incidentally, the three candidates certain to contest the Lok Sabha polls are all women.
The SAD has already announced the candidature of former SGPC president Bibi Jagir Kaur from the Khadoor Sahib constituency. She was alleged to have ordered the honour killing of her daughter and served a five year rigorous imprisonment for it after the Supreme Court rejected her plea against the conviction.
The other two are former MoS for external affairs Perneet Kaur, wife of chief minister Amarinder Singh, and Union Minister for Food Processing Industries Harsimrat Kaur Badal. While Perneet Kaur will contest from Patiala, Harsimrat will contest from Bhatinda.
Former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, possibly the senior most politician in the country, may address a few of the SAD-BJP mega rallies along with the BJP's senior leaders like Prime Minister Narendra Modi or party president Amit Shah.