BJP’s growing political clout an ominous sign for allies, including Akalis in Punjab?

Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 17

The speculation that the BJP might approach the 2019 general election without its oldest ally Shiv Sena in Maharashtra could be an ominous sign for other NDA allies, including the Shiromani Akali Dal in Punjab.  

If not complete separation, the allies who are already feeling at sea thanks to the saffron party’s spectacular run--from local body elections to Presidential polls--may now have to be content with fewer seats. 

Sources suggest that the BJP is working on a plan to improve tally in states where it can—like in Punjab and Maharashtra. And one of the ways could be to contest on more seats.

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BJP leaders claim that in Maharashtra the Sena won 18 Lok Sabha seats in 2014, “due to the Narendra Modi wave”. But the proverbial “Modi wave” left Punjab untouched due to its “liaison with Akalis,” or so believes a section of its Punjab leadership, which says that the 2017 Assembly results were a reiteration of that belief.

Currently in the Lok Sabha, the BJP has two seats of the 13 in Punjab, including Gurdaspur where late Vinod Khanna was the MP, and ally Akali Dal four. Rivals AAP has four MPs (including two suspended) and the Congress three.

A section of the saffron leadership in Punjab, which has also been clamouring for a separation from the Akali Dal, believes there is “good scope” for the BJP on “at least six or seven of the remaining 11 seats if the party goes it alone in the next elections”. This section has for long been advocating a separation from the Akalis to shake off the “negative perceptions” associated with its long-standing ally though flying solo could mean more competition. However, the BJP is open to “good” candidates from other parties. 

The leadership, they say, is looking for “good candidates” everywhere, including on seats currently held by the BJP. “Even some sitting BJP MPs may be shown the door on the basis of their performance, or rather lack of it, in their constituencies and Parliament,” they say, also sounding a warning for allies facing an existential crisis, courtesy the saffron party’s spectacular political run.

Party chief Amit Shah is currently spearheading an aggressive social and political expansion plan to increase the party’s base in the country. The saffron dominance has been further augmented with Bihar CM Nitish Kumar-led JD(U) switching sides, which has also increased the redundancy of existing NDA ally in Bihar—Ram Vilas Paswan-led LJP. The BJP leadership is also working at getting together two warring factions of the AIADMK—a part of Shah’s expansion plans down south.