Lok Sabha Elections 2024: In Punjab, the alliance talks between BJP and Akali Dal for the Lok Sabha elections (Lok Sabha Elections 2024) have broken down. Both the parties will not contest the elections together. Akali Dal was a part of NDA for a long time. In the year 2019-2020, Akali Dal separated itself from NDA against the three agricultural laws brought by the central government. BJP has announced to contest all 13 seats in Punjab.
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Why did the Akali Dal not form an alliance?
Regarding not having an electoral alliance with the BJP, the Akali Dal has said that an alliance is not possible due to the difference in the ideologies of both the parties. The party has also indicated to contest the 2027 assembly elections on its own. Sources believe that the Akali Dal wants to strengthen its vote bank by fighting the 2024 Lok Sabha elections on its own.
Experts believe that the ideology of Akali Dal, which does politics on regional identity and a regional socio-cultural basis, does not match with the nationalist political thinking of BJP. This is the most important factor behind the lack of alliance between the two parties.
Why was there no consensus in the Akali Dal regarding BJP?
Sources stressed that apart from disagreements on political, religious and socio-cultural issues, the Akali leadership has also been apprehensive about the BJP’s image of ‘destroying regional forces’. Many Akali leaders believe that the BJP wants to take the help of their party and its vote base to reach its target of 400 seats for the party-led National Democratic Alliance. The Akalis also feared that if the Lok Sabha exercise was successful, the BJP would demand more seats for the 2027 elections.
What did Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal say?
Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal has said that the number game has never mattered to his party. For the last 103 years, the Akali Dal has worked for the progress and development of Punjab. We are people who follow principles. For us, our ideology comes first. No national party works in the interest of Punjab. Our party will continue to raise its voice on the issues of farmers.
Akali Dal had given unconditional support
In the proposal brought by Akali Dal last week, it was said that the alliance between Akali Dal and BJP continued for about 24 years from the year 1996. In the year 1996, in the name of Sikh Hindu unity, Akali Dal had announced to support BJP unconditionally. During the farmers’ movement in the year 2020, the relations between the two parties deteriorated and the alliance broke down.
The resolution passed by the Akali Dal said it would “continue to place principles above politics… and never renege on its historic role as the champion of all Punjabis”. “As the sole representative of Sikhs and all Punjabis, the party will continue its fight for greater powers and genuine autonomy to the states,”
Akali vs BJP vs AAP vs Congress in Punjab
Akalis contesting alone means that there will be a four-cornered contest on 13 seats in Punjab, in which Congress and the ruling Aam Aadmi Party are also in the fray. A friendly contest is taking place on all seats with mutual consent between the two parties, Congress and AAP. At the same time, BJP has also announced to field candidates on all seats. Akali Dal will also contest on all seats. In such a situation, there is a possibility of a four-cornered contest on all seats in Punjab.
What was the result in the last Lok Sabha election?
In 2019, the Congress led by then former Chief Minister (and former Congressman) Amarinder Singh won eight out of 13 seats in the state. BJP and Akali won two seats each. Aam Aadmi Party won one seat. In this election, Akali Dal got more than 27 percent votes. Whereas BJP got less than 10 percent votes. There was a big difference in the vote percentage of both the parties.
BJP’s condition has always been weak in Punjab. In such a situation, the party had made efforts to bring Akali Dal to its side before the Lok Sabha elections.
Both the parties faced a crushing defeat in the last assembly election
In the last assembly election, after 5 elections, for the first time both the parties contested separately. In the previous elections, Akali Dal used to contest on 94 seats and BJP on 23 seats. In the last election, Akali Dal had contested in alliance with BSP. Akali Dal had to face a crushing defeat in this election. Akali Dal had won only 3 seats in this election. BJP also had to face defeat in this election. BJP had won only 2 seats.
