One thing is certain that the victory of the grand alliance in Bihar has given a clear message to keep the relevance of coalition politics alive in Punjab.

With the recent incidents of farmer’s agitation in Punjab over compensation on account of loss of crop and demanding the resignation of Tota Singh, Agriculture Minister on moral grounds, sacrilege incidents of Holy Book Sri Granth Sahib at various places, holding of Sadhbhavna rallies to counter Sarbat Khalsa besides agitation by various sections including supporting the drug and sand mafias, employees for regularization of services of temporary employees and release of wages on regular monthly basis and above all less employment opportunities. 

While SAD party has gone on the back foot,especially when the silver lining was seen between the alliances with Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) for contesting the coming Assembly elections in Punjab during 2017 independently. It is an admitted fact that the aftermath of impact of any charges, counter-charges and controversies cropped during the five years’ term is seen only in the next elections. 

Despite the BJP party in power in Centre, it could not yet decided over the issue of heading the State by the existing Chief Kamal Sharma or replacing it with the other aspirants of the group of Avinash Rai Khanna. In fact, the green signal from the party high command is still awaited and extending the dates as if the hearing dates are announced in the courts. When the national political party can’t take decision to nominate its head for the state, what else can be expected from them for taking political decisions in the interest of the public. This type of delays spoils the image of the party.

With the oust of Arun Jaitely – known as the ‘Iron Man’ of BJP having full support of the party leaders at the centre – from Amritsar during Parliament elections by Capt Amarinder Singh, Jaitely and Modi as PM has not any soft corner for Punjab and failed to announce any major projects during his visit to the State even on the occasion of paying tributes to Shaheed Bhagat Singh and his associates on March 23 last.

Things are also not safe in SAD where leaders too have complained about not being heard even in their own ministries with daring example of Navjot Kaur Sidhu Chief Parliamentary Secretary (CPS) – wife of a three-time MP and former India opener Navjot Singh Sidhu humiliated by the alliance party by dumping his all projects – who has openly made it crystal clear a number of times that she won’t contest in Assembly 2017 elections if the BJP stays in alliance with the SAD.

On the other hand, Aam Aadmi Party, which has only given its four MPs at the Centre, has become active with the announcement of Arvind Kejriwal to announce his plan for kick-start with a rally in Muktsar on January 14 from Muktsar. Not only the AAP has proclaimed for the contesting candidates even for the coming elections and camping in Punjab for campaign purposes. Recent induction of Sukhpal Singh Khaira into the party fold along with Jagtar Singh Rajla former MLA and Congress leader from Samana are the clear indications to stand against SAD-BJP alliance. More-over, Kejriwal’s main agenda of eradicating corruption from the system has allured the common man who is always waiting in the queue even for a small job in the government offices. AAP has dubbed the SAD as ‘two sides of the same coin’ and promising to order a probe into their misdeeds after assuming power in the state.

So far as People’s Party of Punjab (PPP) is concerned – owned by Manpreet Singh Badal in blood-relations – and one time a Finance Minister in Badal’s government, has also come up with a long-term goal to oust the SAD in the 2017 Assembly elections but he lacks the support of any party and its own workers in numbers. 

Moreover, funding during the elections has become a major role to play which is done by the big gun-shorts or corporate houses only to the party which has standing in the past whereas PPP, despite having a clear ideology has not been able to show its presentations. 

Manpreet Singh Badal was made totally failure in his elections with police terror, administrative collusion, vote buying, distribution of liquor, fake namesakes and the combine might of the government and the drug mafia. He touched five lakh votes causing the biggest ever scare of the ruling Akali Dal government in the state.

Congress is only party left to give a tough fight to the alliance of SAD-BJP in the State, now headed by Capt Amarninder Singh dropping all controversies of argument, disagreement, debate, hullaballoo with his counterparts in the party. Perhaps this is the first time in the history of Congress that notwithstanding the open confrontation in the headlines of the newspapers, all leaders have joined hands at one platform. Sunil Jakhar’s gestures of stepping down as Opposition leader have given more oxygen to the strength of the party keeping the working for the party irrespective of any status.

Gone are the days when the political rallies and congregations were the termed as the show of strength as now the sincerity, dedication and devotion towards the party from the core of heart by each leader and worker is more important to make an icon of the political party which the Congress was lacking in Punjab during the last two terms.

Frankly speaking, none of the political party – SAD, BJP, Congress, AAP – is in a position to form independent government in Punjab and each party has to be dependent on alliance – SAD with BJP, Congress with AAP or small parties PPP or BSP. But it is beyond one’s imagination that SAD and Congress or Congress and BJP or BJP or AAP or SAD could join hands. Charges by the Aam Aadmi Party that Congress and Akalis are playing friendly match and Majithia would be put in jail for his misdeeds once AAP comes to power in the state are nothing but child like statements.

The grass on the other side always looks green but everybody wants to know as to what is happening on the other side of the wall. There has to be sworn alliance or grand alliance in Punjab with clear agenda of CAT – clean, accountable and transparent government with specific manifesto of hassle-free services in the government offices with greasing the palms, quality education, better health services, as the people are fed up from the existing style of working of the governments headed by the older-timer politicians in the state.