If it was India’s victory over Australia in the 4th ODI that hogged the limelight in Punjabi newspapers, it was rocking of Akali Dal-BJP alliance that looked no less pronounced.
If it was India’s victory over Australia in the fourth ODI here that hogged the limelight in the Punjabi newspapers, it was rocking of the Akali Dal-BJP alliance that looked no less pronounced.
Jagvani, one of the leading Punjabi dailies, gave a wide display to the news conference addressed by BJP’s national general secretary Balbir Punj in Amritsar where he came down heavily on the Akali Dal for keeping the BJP on the margins in the state governance.
As it was the first frontal attack by the BJP on its alliance partner ever since the two came to power in February last, other newspapers like Nawan Zamana and Desh Sevak also sounded the warning bells for the alliance.
Nawan Zamana listed series of incidents in which the Akalis led by chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and his son, Sukhbir Badal, had kept the BJP leaders on sidelines while taking major decisions about the state.
It said that the matter of hike in power rates was just a flash point for the discontent that had been simmering for a long time. It observed tersely that though the BJP with its 19 MLAs was crucial to the survival of the alliance government, it had not been assertive in governance.
For this, the newspaper blames the weak leadership of the BJP. It also said that the BJP required the central leaders like Punj to come here and sound a word of caution to the Akalis.
Desh Sewak, however, highlighted Punjab PCC president Rajinder Kaur Bhattal’s statement on the matter in which she castigated the BJP for shedding crocodile tears on the issue of power rates. Bhattal challenged the BJP to quit the alliance if it was seriously hurt with the increase in power rates for urban people.
Ajit, another leading Punjabi daily, reported about the meeting the state BJP leaders had with the party’s national president Rajnath Singh sharing their concern at the alleged step-motherly treatment meted out to them by the Akalis.
It gave wide coverage to the BJP’s threat not to attend the cabinet meeting in case the hike in power rates was listed in its agenda for approval. The BJP had never adopted such a strident stance earlier giving a stern warning to the Akali Dal to mend its ways.
No newspaper has , however, talked about the speculations that the alliance was heading towards a split. In fact, it was recalled how the chief minister had at one stage described the alliance between the two parties as a “husband-wife” relationship which can never see divorce taking place in any condition.
Ajit even carried a statement of the chief minister on Tuesday saying that the sun can change its direction to rise, but the Akali Dal-BJP alliance could not come to splits.
An editorial in Jagvani, meanwhile, counselled both partners to exercise restrain and not to let the alliance split in the interest of development in the state. It wanted the ruling alliance to focus more on improving the economy, instead of flaring up mutual differences. Let them sink their differences amicably and concentrate on governance, the newspaper advised.
—Ajay Bharadwaj
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}