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The Voice of Chandigarh
RNI NO. CHABIL/2013/51319 POSTAL REGD NO. G/CHD/0159/2016-2018/ Posted MBU/CHD VOL 4 ISSUE 1 Chandigarh, 30 May-5 June, 2016 PAGES-8 PRICE Rs. 3
(WEEKLY)
PUNJAB ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS 2017
By H.C. Gera
(Political Analyst)
After Assam,
Tamil Nadu, Kerala,
West Bengal
and Puducherry
the Assembly
Elections in Punjab
are due next year. It may be
too early to predict the outcome
of forthcoming elections
but one can witness a kind of
slow churning in the political
scenario. Not much heat is being
generated except for the
fact that the various political
parties have started their campaign
in advance to change the
mood of the voters in Punjab.
Congress party and AAP
are trying to invade the political
arena but the SAD-BJP
ruled state of Punjab is focused
on the development agenda
and has adopted only a defensive
mode to the criticism by
these parties. Parkash Singh
Badal the Chief Minister of
Punjab has termed the recent
rally of Aam Admi Party in
Mohali a "massive flop show".
Badal senior has gone to this
extent that now the game is
over and Aam Aadmi Party
needs to wind up this circus
show and fold their tents and
leave.
The Congress party on the
other hand itself is faction ridden
and lacks leadership. Captain
Amarinder Singh the former
CM - Punjab was projected
as CM candidate for the
2017 Assembly elections but
his name was not approved by
the High Command enthusiastically.
This dampened the
spirits of few workers of congress
having close alliance
with Captain Saab. In nutshell
congress party may not be able
to make a dent in the present
circumstances. But it is a fact
that politics in India is most
unpredicted and so are the results.
That is quite far away
and the burning question for
the next assembly elections
would be the agenda which
seems to be missing as of now.
No party can fetch votes
merely on the basis of allegations
and counter allegations.
There has to be some solid
agenda which can really draw
the voters in their folds. Sadly,
DIFFICULT
TO ALTER THE
POLITICAL
SCENARIO IN
PUNJAB
AGENDA STILL MISSING
the issue of unemployment of
the youth, drug problem and
the problems of farmers have
been kept under the carpet except
announcement of some
soap and other incentives
which at the moment have
failed to hold the water.
The issue of SYL canal, not
releasing water to adjoining
state of Haryana may not
please BJP and hence may not
leave a positive impact on the
voters of Punjab except the rural
voters who still believe the
edicts of Shiromani Akali Dal.
I once attended a power
point presentation by Deputy
CM Sukhbir Singh Badal
where he amply highlighted
their achievements in various
sectors in Punjab state during
their 9 years rule. At the same
time the achievements were
presented simply showing the
failures of the previous government.
During questions answer
session after the presentation,
I asked if the achievements
were at the peak during
9 years of SAD rule, what is
left to be done during 10th
year of the rule? Sukhbir Badal
the Deputy CM smiled and
said, "the peak is yet to come
and we will be again in power
after the elections."
All said and done but what
will be the agenda? The same
seems to be missing. Much remains
to be done. Development
in terms of infrastructure,
roads, airports, free electricity
to farmers and free bees to other
sections of the society may
not be very attractive prospective
during the next elections.
The opposition party though
not very strong has been criticizing
the present government
in one way or the other but
their presence has remained
insignificant. The issue of financial
crunch in the state,
corruption, drug addiction by
the youths, suicides by farmers,
unemployment and controversy
of SYL canal and
some political and administrative
mistakes during 2015 has
brought Punjab on back foot.
Certainly these issues are to be
addressed in the form of
preparing an agenda which
needs to be implemented if the
present SAD-BJP alliance
wants to avail another chance
in Punjab during next elections.
Voters have great power
to tilt the balance hence the result
will remain always unpredicted.
Let us think of something
better to bring Punjab at number
one position again!