Sena first, and now SAD

KV Prasad

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 17

The SAD tonight pulled out its lone representative in the Union Cabinet, signalling a fissure in its three-decade-old ties with the BJP. That Harsimrat Kaur Badal referred to it in her resignation letter reflects that ties forged by BJP veterans Atal Bihari Vajpayee and LK Advani may have lost the sheen the partnership mutually benefited since 1996.

Ironical it may seem that during the past one year, BJP’s relations with two of its oldest and staunch supporters – the Shiv Sena and SAD- have slided down. While the Sena moving away could be attributed to a political compulsion of forming government in Maharasthra, there is no such apparent pressure on the Akalis. The elections to the state Assembly is still a good 17-odd months away. The SAD has stopped short of a clean break from the BJP. Now that the three farm Bills the SAD is opposed to are on course to get Parliament’s nod, the Akalis may have to work on its political calculations on maintaining its alliance with the national party. Yet, it chose to step out of the Modi government on a day the BJP celebrated the birthday of the Prime Minister.