Parties vie for Panthic seat, keen multi-cornered contest on cards

Ruchika M Khanna

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 10

Political battlelines are drawn over the Anandpur Sahib parliamentary constituency. With various political factions, supposed to be part of the fourth front, trying to take over the reins of the Sikh leadership and staking claim to this Panthic seat, the political permutations have changed yet once again.

The Punjabi Ekta Party (PEP) and Shiromani Akali Dal (Taksali), tried to forge an alliance but snapped ties even before the General Election was announced. 

The Punjabi Ekta Party of Sukhpal Singh Khaira has decided to go with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Lok Insaaf Party (of Bains brothers) and other breakaway Aam Aadmi Party leaders, including Patiala MP Dr Dharamvira Gandhi, under the umbrella of the Punjab Democratic Alliance (PDA).

On the other hand, the Akali Dal (Taksali), headed by the feisty Khadoor Sahib Member of Parliament Ranjit Singh Brahmpura is cosying up to the Aam Aadmi Party. 

The Khadoor Sahib MP has reportedly held high-level discussions with AAP state chief and Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann to stitch an alliance. The reason for the rift between Khaira’s fledgling party and the Akali Dal (Taksali) is the latter’s “unilateral” decision to announce candidate for Anandpur Sahib. This seat is significant being the birthplace of the Khalsa. Also, it is the best bet for the fourth front emerging on the state’s political scene. 

The Taksalis want the seat because of the significance it holds for the Sikh community. Khaira is backing the BSP’s claim to the seat. 

The BSP wants this seat as much for the demographics  (the party polled over 69,000 votes here in 2014) as for the emotional connect. The founder of the party, the late Kanshi Ram, hailed from this constituency.

The emerging political combinations clearly indicate a four-cornered contest in Punjab this parliamentary elections. 

Also, it is now abundantly  clear that there will be no more efforts at re-unification of the various factions in Punjab. Such a scenario will be advantageous to the ruling Congress, especially as the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), still on the fringes, grappling to make a comeback in the state.

The Tussle

Bir Devinder Singh (R) of SAD (Taksali) claims that Sukhpal S Khaira (L) did not want the party to contest from Anandpur Sahib. He feared the Taksalis could win this Panthic seat and lay claim to being an alternative to SAD in Sikh politics. But Khaira says the Taksalis were taking unilateral decisions and the BSP was unwilling to relent. “So, we decided to go with the BSP.”