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Political notes |
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Punjab : Forming a Panthic Front
Hectic efforts are on between opposition Akali groups to give a final shape to a common front that they are forging in view of the forthcoming Assembly polls in Punjab. The Panthic (Sikh faith) Front which may be formally announced in the next few days, could cause electoral damage to the ruling Akali Dal headed by Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal as the groups comprising it will have their influence in at least 25 of the 117 Assembly constituencies in the state. “An announcement of the formation of the front is possible any day now,” said the radical Sikh leader and MP, Mr. Simranjit Singh Mann. Opposed to both the ruling Akali Dal (Badal) and the Congress, the front will have Mr. Mann and former SGPC chief G.S. Tohra’s parties as its major constituents.
The formation of the front has come to a head after almost a year of modalities. The participant groups are the All India Shiromani Akali Dal headed by Mr. Tohra, Akali Dal (Amritsar) of Mr. Mann, the Akali Dal (Panthic) of Mr. Jasbir Singh Rode, nephew of the slain militant leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, the Sant Samaj, an influential body of Sikh holymen and an outfit led by former Punjab Assembly Speaker, Mr. Ravi Inder Singh. Efforts are on to persuade the Akali Dal (Democratic) of Mr. K.S. Wadala to join the front.
Positioning itself against the Akali Dal (Badal) and the Congress, the front will actually cut into the traditional Akali vote bank, which may otherwise go to the ruling the Akali Dal. And even if the front does not bag many Assembly seats for itself, it could help the Congress win many Akali seats in three-cornered contests, opine analysts.
Meanwhile, there are reports that all is not well with the Akal Dal (Badal)’s alliance with the BJP. The assessment of the former is that the usefulness of the BJP in the urban areas has been limited and in a future election, an alliance with the BJP may be negative. It is, however, early days for political realignments.
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