Once all-powerful, Shiromani Akali Dal on verge of losing its identity, bypoll a litmus test

Ravi Dhaliwal

Gurdaspur, June 25

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), which not long ago was the most influential political party in the Gurdaspur parliamentary constituency, has now lost its moorings to the extent where it is finding it extremely difficult to sustain itself politically.

The Dera Baba Nanak bypoll will be a test for the party to prove that it still exists in Gurdaspur district. “Winning is simply out of question. We are simply fighting for our survival,” confided a senior leader.

At one time, big-wigs like former Cabinet Ministers Balbir Singh Baath, Sucha Singh Langah, Sewa Singh Sekhwan and Natha Singh Dalam, ex-Speaker Nirmal Singh Kahlon and ex-Gurdaspur MLA GS Babbehali were considered to be all-powerful. Consequently, the party seemed to be invincible.

In 2012, when party chief Sukhbir Badal decided to sideline a mature and erudite leader like Balbir Singh Baath without any rhyme or reason, the portents were ominous. Actually, Sukhbir was looking to replace the old guard with fresh talent. He committed the cardinal sin of doing away with the old guard without finding its replacement. This resulted in a vacuum of sorts in the political arena.

Into this vacuum stepped Congress titans like two-time and ex-Cabinet minister MP Partap Singh Bajwa, former Deputy CM and four-time MLA Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and five-time legislator Tripat Rajinder Singh Bajwa. These Congressmen took the battle to the SAD camp and consequently trampled the opposition with impunity. SAD’s aura of invincibility had been punctured.

Indubitably, the Akalis stand totally marginalised now. In the future, too, the chances of a revival seem to be utterly bleak.

The forfeiture of the security deposit of SAD candidate Daljit Singh Cheema in the parliamentary elections has acted as the proverbial last nail in the coffin. From day one, it was an ordeal for Cheema to keep senior leaders like Gurbachan Singh Babbehali, Lakhbir Singh Lodhinangal and Ravi Karan Kahlon on a joint platform.

One of them even went to the extent of making sure his followers voted en-masse in favour of the Congress leaving Cheema fighting with his back to the wall. So much so, Ravi Karan Kahlon decision to join the BJP with just days to go for the polls was considered to be pure debauchery. By the time action was initiated against him, it was too late as he took with him a major chunk of the SAD vote bank.

The Akalis lost all the nine seats they contested in 2022. Before this, in 2012 and 2017, they fared a bit better because of their alliance with the BJP.

“SAD can never be the same again. The King is dead. Long live the King,” said MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa.