Reasons behind defeat of SAD-BJP combine in Punjab assembly elections/ by Manoj Dhiman

Finally, the 10-years-rule of the Badal government has ended with declaration of the poll results on March 11, 2017. People of the state have felt a sigh of relief because they were seen completely fed-up. There is no need to mention the reasons for the frustration that had been prevailing among the minds of people of the state as these reasons were mentioned in their public speeches and statements by the leaders belonging to the Opposition during the last ten years. Now, discussions are on over the exact reasons of defeat of the Badal government. The SAD (Badal) too will certainly try to find out the reasons behind its defeat. They are going to hold a meeting of Core Committee of the SAD (B) in the near future.
There is difference of opinion over the defeat of the Badal government. Some believe that the entry of the AAP into the Punjab political scenario is the major cause for the defeat of the ruling SAD-BJP combine in the state. No doubt, this is one of main reasons, even one of the biggest reasons besides other reasons such as anti-incumbency, rebel candidates and anti-people, industry and trade policies. Neither the Congress nor the SAD and BJP wanted to see the success of the AAP in these assembly elections. There was a significant section of people and even politicians who thought that the victory of the AAP would not be in the larger interest of the state.
Political observers strongly believe that a large section of staunch supporters of BJP in Punjab preferred to poll for the Congress instead of its own party candidates for not allowing the candidates of the AAP to win. They were sure that the Akali candidates were not going to win even if voted this time as electorates mood was not in favour of polling for the SAD-BJP combine, particularly because of misdeeds of the Akalis. People were completely fed up due to drug menace and wide spread corruption in the state. This observation of the political observers may be wrong and there may be certain other reasons behind the defeat of the SAD-BJP combine but the poll results figures narrate some hidden message. The poll data shows that majority of the BJP candidates have been defeated with a huge margin, which indicate towards mass shifting of electorates from one political party to another. In-fact, these electorates wanted that the Congress instead of the AAP should come to the power in Punjab if the SAD-BJP combine fails to succeed for the consecutive third term. Whatever may be the reasons behind the defeat of the SAD-BJP combine, there is certainly a dire need to review all these aspects by duo alliance partners, if they wanted to further survive in the state’s politics otherwise there are chances of further growth of the Congress after the coming Local Bodies elections in Punjab.
There is a strong feeling that electorates of the state not polled in favour of the Congress. Rather, electorates polled against the “egoistic” and “highhanded” attitude of the Akalis. Almost every section of the society was annoyed with the functioning of the SAD-BJP combine. The Badal government tried to suppress the voice of all those who attempted to speak against them by one or another way. Even many of these people were honoured with various posts in the government.
Interestingly, if the SAD-BJP combine remained out of power for next five years in Punjab then the overall political scenario is likely to change in a bigger way.
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