{"id":9389,"date":"2024-03-25T14:23:29","date_gmt":"2024-03-25T14:23:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2024\/03\/25\/sad-reads-sikh-mind-in-laying-pact-conditions-chandigarh-news-times-of-india\/"},"modified":"2024-04-02T06:25:55","modified_gmt":"2024-04-02T06:25:55","slug":"sad-reads-sikh-mind-in-laying-pact-conditions-chandigarh-news-times-of-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2024\/03\/25\/sad-reads-sikh-mind-in-laying-pact-conditions-chandigarh-news-times-of-india\/","title":{"rendered":"Sad Reads Sikh Mind In Laying Pact Conditions | Chandigarh News"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Sad<\/div>\n
JALANDHAR: Laying down conditions for a re-alliance with the BJP by asking the latter\u2019s central govt to first address the important issues of Sikhs and Punjab seems to have gone down well with Shiromani Akali Dal\u2019s core support base, going by no visible criticism. A section even deems it \u201cfirst positive step\u201d.
The Punjab BJP appears to have nuanced understanding of how the alliance can help it win back its old parliamentary seats and improve the vote share at others.SAD\u2019s latest decision is a major shift from late Parkash Singh Badal\u2019s 24-year policy of \u201cunconditional support\u201d to the BJP from 1996 to 2020. Akali leaders at different levels have positive feedback to the core committee\u2019s stand, saying it will help retain their core vote base and recover at least some of the lost ground among Sikhs irrespective of winning or losing.
The Sikh social media space also reflects that response, so the SAD seems to have at least avoided a backlash from Sikhs by listening to the community\u2019s apprehensions about the BJP\u2019s Hindutva agenda. A senior Akali leader said: \u201cIt has stopped further erosion of trust, even as it will take time to win back the community trust, given the baggage of the past years.\u201d
The death of young Shubhkaran Singh and injuries to 250-odd other protesters in Delhi Chalo 2.0 have fanned the Sikh farmers\u2019 anti-BJP sentiments further, and they make core voter base of the SAD. But questions for the Aam Aadmi Party that governs Punjab have also increased and the Akalis would want to take advantage of the situation to whatever extent possible.
The understanding at different level within Punjab BJP is that it is SAD\u2019s compulsion to return to its core ideology agenda for recovering its lost ground. But there\u2019s also a refrain in the BJP is contesting separately could impact their performance in Gurdaspur and Hoshiarpur, where they won in 2014 and 2019. They need Akali support for the Amritsar seat as well. It\u2019s true for the Akali candidates also, who unlike the BJP, have lost their core voter base.
Sections in the BJP still expect their central govt to deliver something on SAD\u2019s demands and go for the alliance. Given the likelihood of a four-cornered contest in Punjab, the impact of SAD and BJP\u2019s contesting separately is likely to be complicated across the seats.<\/p>\n

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