New Delhi: With the announcement of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) breaking away from the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) within the last one year, the ruling saffron party’s two oldest trusted and ideological commitment partners at the Center Is left with, However, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the political power of the party has become stronger than before.
The withdrawal of the SAD from the NDA will not have a significant impact on the Modi government but may create problems for the BJP in the border state of Punjab. The alliance between the Akali and the BJP in Punjab has given both parties the support of different factions of the voters of the state.
Political observers believe that the BJP may try to keep a section of the Akali Dal angry which is angry with Sukhbir Singh Badal. However, the agitation of farmers against the agrarian reform bills passed by the Center and the support they are getting from all political parties has definitely created problems for the BJP.
It is noteworthy that in spite of heavy opposition from other opposition parties including Congress, the recent Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020, Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Simplification) Bill 2020 and Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Agricultural Services The Bill, 2020 was passed by the Parliament.
Farmers and farmers’ organizations in many parts of the country, especially in Punjab and Haryana, are protesting against these bills. On the issue of these bills, SAD broke away from this two and a half decade old alliance on Saturday.
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut targeted the BJP over the SAD’s split from the NDA and said that the alliance the saffron party is leading would not like to be called the NDA as its party and the Akali Dal were its main pillars. He said that last year the Shiv Sena was “forced” to break away from the NDA.
Apparently he was referring to the BJP’s refusal of the Shiv Sena’s demand for a partnership of the Chief Minister’s post in Maharashtra. After this, Shiv Sena joined hands with Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Uddhav Thackeray became Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
The BJP has termed SAD’s exit from the NDA as its “political compulsion”, while terming the Shiv Sena’s departure with opposition parties as a “mismatch alliance” created by the greed for power. The Janata Dal (United) led by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has become the oldest ally of the BJP after both these parties walked out of the alliance. Kumar has been with the BJP since 2013 to 2017 and is also the face of the alliance in Bihar.
A BJP leader said that it is unfortunate for both parties to leave the NDA but BJP cannot be blamed for this. He said, “The BJP could neither give the chief minister’s post to the Shiv Sena nor withdraw from its agenda of agrarian reform.” It may be known that before the Lok Sabha elections, the Telugu Desam Party also left Andhra Pradesh to the NDA on the issue of special sta
