Wheel of politics turn in Punjab as political partiesrush to woo Hindu voters ahead of Punjab polls next year. The election iscrucial for the Congress party since Punjab is one of its few remainingstrongholds.
Opposition parties were going all out, a month ago to woothe electorally influential Dalit community by promising a Dalit chief ministerfor the state. Dalits make up about 32% of the vote bank. After the upper castegeneral category (Jats 21% and Brahmins and Banias 12%), they are the secondmost significant voter segment.
However, the ruling Congress dashed their hopes byreplacing Captain Amarinder Singh and making Dalit leader Charanjit SinghChanni the CM of Punjab.
After this key move by Congress, the wheels of politicshave turned towards Hindu voters. Punjab has a Hindu vote bank of 38.49 percent.
After the Congress and Akali Dal, the Aam Aadmi Party hasnow joined the fray. In the temples, Sukhbir Badal and Navjot Sidhu bowed theirheads earlier. Arvind Kejriwal, the chief of the Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi isnow visiting the Shri Devi Talab temple in Jalandhar to offer his obeisance.
Partiesrush to woo Hindu voters
Sukhbir Badal, the SAD chief was the first to visitChintpurni Mata Temple in Himachal Pradesh. After that, he went to Jalandhar'sShri Devi Talab Temple.
Congress' Navjot Sidhu, on the other hand, visited MaaVaishno Devi temple. He had previously observed Navratri at home and postedpictures of it on social media.
AAP’s Kejriwal is on a two-day visit to Punjab and willpay his obeisance at Shri Devi Talab temple in Jalandhar.
Meanwhile, Captain Amarinder’s dismissal from power willhave a significant effect on the Hindu vote bank, as during his regime thecommunity felt safe. Hindu’s in the state believed that in the rule ofAmarinder Singh there would be no incidents of communal violence. If Captlaunches his own party, which he asserted to, this significant number of voterswill definitely move.
Sidhu-Channivs Sukhbir Badal vs Kejriwal
After Charanjit Channi was named CM, the ‘humiliated’Capt Amarinder announced to launch a new party and field a strong contender todefeat his arch-rival, Punjab PCC chief Navjot Singh Sidhu.
However, as Capt has not technically quit Congress andthere are no recent updates on the issue, we can consider the chances of hisnew party to be nil. This means in the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections the maincontenders will be ruling Congress led by the duo of CM Channi and NavjotSindhu; Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) led by Sukhbir Singh Badal; and Aam AadmiParty under the leadership of its national convenor Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal.
After naming Dalit leader Channi as CM, Congress expectedto take a leap however the situation seems unfavourable. Several leaders of theDalit community showed displeasure on Congress’ move and called it “an electionstunt.”
The party also tried to play it safe by appointing Hinduface OP Soni and Jatt Sikh face Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa as deputy CMs.
The Congress crisis worsened as Sidhu resigned from hispost of Punjab party head just days after the appointment of CM Channi’scabinet. He alleged the appointment of tainted officials in administration anddemanded removal of the said. The issue remains lingering to date.
Meanwhile taking a dig at the ruling party, oppositionAAP and SAD passed several statements. AAP head Kejriwal even gave a five-pointagenda to CM Channi which enraged several party leaders.
Whatabout BJP?
BJP lost its chances in Punjab on the day it passed threecontroversial agricultural laws. It’s been around a year that farmers areprotesting at the gates of the national capital Delhi demanding these ‘blacklaws’ to be repealed.
The Center ruled by BJP, on the other hand, lend no earto farmers issues. Over 600 farmers have lost their lives during the protest.
Meanwhile, as many as four protesting farmers wereallegedly killed as a vehicle owned by a BJP leader ploughed them in LakhimpurKheri, Uttar Pradesh. A similar incident happed in Haryana.
The recent development where farmers have been the targetindicates there are little to no chances for BJP in Punjab.