BJP can’t afford to lose its Sikh ally

Sarbjit Dhaliwal

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 10

Occasional and even prolonged friction notwithstanding, the SAD-BJP alliance has persisted over the years. That is not going to change.

The Akali Dal and BJP have experienced persistent bitterness, with BJP leaders, especially ministers, often complaining that they feel marginalised.

They again voiced their concern recently at a meeting with their party high command.

SAD president Sukhbir Badal yesterday made it clear to BJP chief Amit Shah that there was no interference in the portfolios held by the BJP ministers in the state. They were enjoying a free hand as far as their ministers were concerned, he reportedly told Shah.

Akali MPSukhdev Singh Dhindsa, who was also present at the meeting, said: “Sukhbir made the party’s position clearly on all points raised by the BJP leadership.”

The BJP leaders were informed how some of their party men have been openly criticising the state government and such leaders have never been taken to task. The SAD leaders informed Shah that how the amendment to the Sikh Gurdwara Act had been hanging fire for the past several months. Shah assured Sukhbir that he would ask Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to settle all issues.

It is a fact that due to differences between the coalition partners, the state has suffered on various counts. Owing to lack of consensus over levying various taxes and other charges, urban areas remained neglected so far as development is concerned.

Despite all the bitterness, the alliance has survived over the years. Reason: The BJP cannot afford to snap ties with the Akali Dal, a political party strongly identified with the Sikh minority. The BJP’s relations with other minorities such as the Muslims and Christians have never been balanced. The Sikhs are only minority with which the BJP has been maintaining political ties by way of an alliance with the Akali Dal.

At the national level, an alliance with the Akali D al suits BJP the most. No wonder, despite several complaints against Akali leaders, the BJP high command has always tried to strike a compromise between the warring factions.