SAD BJP alliance in Punjab: BJP

Chandigarh: There has been a big turn in the politics of Punjab regarding the passage of agricultural bills in the Parliament of the Central Government. The 22-year-old SAD-BJP alliance has broken in Punjab. The Shiromani Akali Dal has decided to break away from the NDA and the BJP on the issue of agricultural bills. The party had earlier disassociated itself from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government and Harsimrat Kaur Badal resigned as the cabinet minister.

SAD core committee, in a meeting presided over by party president, decided unanimously to pull out of the BJP-led NDA alliance because of centre’s stubbornness on Agri Ordinances & its continued insensitivity towards excluding Punjabi language as official language in J&K. pic.twitter.com/2mqlSQdxk1

— Shiromani Akali Dal (@Akali_Dal_) September 26, 2020

Sukhbir said, cannot be a part of such an alliance which forcefully implements its decisions

The alliance between the Bhartiya Janata Party and the Shiromani Akali Dal has been broken in Punjab for 22 years. The BJP's oldest ally, the Akali Dal, decided to part away with the BJP on Saturday in the party's core committee meeting. The Shiromani Akali Dal is the second such party after the Sena to break away from the BJP. These were the two parties that have been with the BJP for the longest time. 

In particular, the relationship between the Akali Dal and the BJP was so cordial that the two parties formed a government in Punjab three times and each completed a full five-year term. Relations between the Akali Dal and the BJP have been seen as more social harmony than political.

The foundation of the break-up of the alliance was laid on the same day that Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Badal opposed the agriculture bills and asked the Union Cabinet to resign Harsimrat Kaur Badal. After Harsimrat Badal's resignation from the Union Cabinet, the Akali Dal was under constant pressure to separate from the BJP and the NDA. On Saturday, this decision was taken in the core committee of the Akali Dal, which lasted for about three and a half hours.

After the meeting, party chief Sukhbir Badal said in a conversation with journalists that the NDA government has decided to kill the farmers by bringing an agriculture bill. The shocking central government that first passed it in the Lok Sabha and later in the Rajya Sabha has been seen by all. So, we decided to come out of the Union Cabinet.

Sukhbir said that while taking the decision to come out of the government, I had said that we will go to the public to decide the strategy ahead. After negotiating with party workers, senior party leaders for several days, it was decided not to be part of such an alliance which is implementing its decisions with force.

He said that the Akali Dal had demanded that there are many Punjabi speaking people in Jammu, not only in the Agriculture Bill but also in giving second language status to the Punjabi language in Jammu and Kashmir. But the government did not listen to us. Even my (Sukhbir) demand was supported by National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah. Despite this, the government included English in the state language of Jammu and Kashmir and excluded Punjabi. In such a situation, we have no other option but to separate from the NDA.

Earlier, the SAD leaders in the core Committee discussed the protests and protests of farmers after the passage of agricultural bills. In this, the leaders said that the interests of the farmers cannot be compromised. SAD leaders said that the central government is not guaranteeing to ensure minimum support price (MSP) in the purchase of crop crops. The issue is not ready to be included in the agricultural bills. In such a situation, it cannot be with the NDA and the BJP. The Shiromani Akali Dal is also involved in the farmers' agitation against the agricultural bills in Punjab. Even during the Punjab Bandh, the SAD participated. 

The alliance of the two big parties in Punjab, the Bharatiya Janata Party, and the Shiromani Akali Dal in Punjab was 22 years old. Both parties contested the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections together. The SAD was the target of the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party for an alliance with the BJP on the issue of the agricultural bills.

The possibility of the NDA breaking up in Punjab was intensified after the BJP came out in support of the agricultural bills in Punjab and openly opposed by the SAD. With the break-up of the SAD-BJP alliance, there will also be a change in the political equation in Punjab regarding the assembly elections due in 2022.