Badal resigns; ‘how, why’ murmurs after loss

Ruchika M Khanna

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 12

As proposed by Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his Cabinet colleagues, Governor VP Singh Badnore today ordered the dissolution of the 14th Vidhan Sabha.  Accompanied by his son and party president Sukhbir Singh Badal, the Chief Minister then tendered his resignation. 

At a meeting earlier in the day, the outgoing Cabinet thanked the people of Punjab for their support in maintaining communal amity and assuring support to the new government in “protecting” Punjab’s rights.

But for Adaish Partap Kairon, Sikandar Singh Maluka and Janmeja Singh Sekhon, who lost the elections, and BJP ministers Chuni Lal Bhagat and Anil Joshi, all other ministers attended the meeting. 

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There were murmurs of dissent too. At least two Akali ministers, speaking to The Tribune later, blamed the government’s inability to nab those behind the desecration of Guru Granth Sahib and the Akali Dal’s digression from its Panthic agenda for the defeat in Malwa, where it won only eight seats, as well as in Majha, where it was victorious on two.

One of them said: “Youths from a prominent outfit would campaign against us, claiming the Akalis were either behind the desecration incidents, or their government was inept to arrest the culprits. Voters were completely swayed by the argument.” 

The other minister, expressing surprise at the party’s worst-ever performance, blamed it on the public sentiment against the Badals rather than the party. “Those who performed well in the government and had a clean image won. Eventually, it was not poll strategy but good image that worked,” he held.

Meanwhile, Badal said, “Negative agenda did us in, development could not become an agenda at all.”