With many fronts, there is change in Punjab’s  political equations 

HARISH MONGA

It has always been virtually an electoral contest since the last say five decades between the Congress and the alliance partners SAD and the BJP.  The political rivals have been swapping the seat of power after each election except the last in 2012elections when the SAD-BJP retained power.

The political equations in Punjab, for the coming Assembly elections, have changed with many fronts in the fray this time.  Earlier there used to be two political parties – Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in alliance with BJP,  Aam Aadmi Party, Congress, SAD, and Captain led-Congress, the political calculations are presently difficult to be worked out.

Moreover, all the parties have still to announce the candidates on all the 117 seats and ‘defections and inductions’ are going.  The picture will be cleared only after the final list of candidates by each party. The entry of Captain Amarinder Singh, with the new party –though having an alliance in the background with BJP – has compelled the political thinkers to change their equations too. Capt has to the credit of his popularity when he defeated Arun Jaitely at the height of the Modi wave in the general election and still enjoys widespread support to shape the campaign in Punjab.

However, the major reasons could for this confusion of making a mind for the certain equation in Punjab, might be – availability of more fronts this time, disassociation of BJP from SAD of is 25 years alliance, forming of a new party by Capt Amarinder Singh as PLC, getting popularity by Charanjit Singh Channi as Chief Minister within a short span as he was not known for his existence in the party,  farmers agitation which too has floated Sayunkt Samaj Morcha and having influence in the rural areas and of course, no decision over sacrilege cases despite enjoying two terms each by the different governments SAD and Congress.

Anyhow, the division of votes this time, has confused the political observers and are shying away from any predictions due to various reasons.  This has changed for the first time in the State as there would be three or four-cornered contests. During the last elections, even AAP has benefitted from the anti-incumbency faced by both political rivals and had been making its place in Punjab with its next target after Delhi. Let us wait for the announcement of the final candidates to calculate the political equations in Punjab.