Fissures to fore between alliance partners in Muktsar district

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, April 17

All is not well between the alliance partners – the SAD and the BJP – in Muktsar district, which is the home district of the ruling Badals.

For instance, BJP’s Muktsar block president Sandeep Girdhar today raised a question on the development of Muktsar town, posting on his Facebook account, “BJP Muktsar Mandal ki Akali Dal se ek hi maang humein chahe kisi karyakram mein na bulaya jaye par is pavitar nagar ka sudhar jaroor karva do (BJP Muktsar block has just one demand from the Akali Dal. We don’t mind not being invited to your programme but do something for the development of this holy town).”

Admitting the differences with SAD leaders, Girdhar said, “The BJP is following the coalition dharma, but the counterpart (SAD) is yet to follow it. This is the entire problem.”

Earlier, the BJP leaders skipped Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s three-day sangat darshan programme in h is Lambi assembly segment on April 4, 5 and 6, which had raised many an eyebrow.

That time, BJP’s Muktsar district president Rajesh Pathela ‘Gora’ had brought the matter to the notice of BJP’s then state chief Kamal Sharma.

Talking to The Tribune, Pathela had said, “None from our party attended the CM’s sangat darshan programme. Neither the district administration nor the Akali leaders informed us about it. I had informed our state chief about this development. Had they invited us, we would have definitely gone there.”

Notably, even during the SAD’s Baisakhi conference at Talwandi Sabo in Bathinda district on April 13, no BJP leader was present there.

Now, the state government is organising a function in Malout town on April 19, where Deputy CM-cum-SAD chief Sukhbir Badal is scheduled to come.

Further, the Chief Minister is likely to hold sangat darshans in Muktsar town on April 27 and 28 and the SAD leaders are trying their best to iron out the differences and present a united picture before him.

However, the BJP leaders are so far firm over their stand that they would not go if the SAD leadership did not invite them.

Courtesy: The Tribune