sad-s-harsimrat-sides-with-rahul-on-farmers-issue

Politics is the art of the possible. Shiromani Akali Dal and the Congress have always been fierce rivals. They continue till today. 

 

There is a long history behind this rivalry, although long ago, in the immediate aftermath of the independence of the country, there was an alliance between the Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal. 

 

Veteran Akali leader and five-time Punjab Chief Minister, Parkash Singh Badal was elected to the assembly for the first time on Congress symbol.

 

It was during the Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s speech on the motion of thanks to the President's address in the Lok Sabha on Monday that he spoke about farmers’ issues and accused the government of India of describing the farmers as terrorists. 

 

Harsimrat Kaur Badal, the lone Akali member of the Akali Dal seconded Rahul’s allegations that the farmers’ were being described as "terrorists", to which Rahul remarked to BJP, saying, "even your ally agrees with that”. 

 

Later, Harsimrat said that she agreed with Rahul Gandhi on the farmers’ issues, saying, the protesting farmers, particularly those from Punjab, were described as “terrorists” and “Khalistanis”. 

 

At the same time, she made it categorically clear that the Shiromani Akali Dal can never agree with the Congress on anything.  

 

Harsimrat may have reiterated her party’s permanent opposition to the Congress, but still, nothing can be ruled out in politics. So much has changed both in the Congress as well as the Akali Dal over the years. 

 

Right now, it is obviously, impossible to even imagine that the Akali Dal and the Congress can ever be together. But, yes, on certain issues they can be, like their opposition to the Bharatiya Janata Party. 

 

Despite being allies, the Akalis, Harsimrat in particular, have been very bitter critics of the BJP. She has been blaming the BJP for the rebellion that is being faced by the party right now.  

 

There might come situations like today, when it will be difficult for the Akali Dal not to side with the Congress. The Akali Dal right now sits in the opposition.  

At the same time, the party is not part of the Indian National  Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA). It obviously cannot be, since two main parties, the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party are part of the INDIA bloc and both are strongly opposed to the Akalis and vice versa in Punjab. 

 

Like on the issue of farmers, the party may end up siding with the INDIA bloc. The bloc has demanded a legal guarantee for the MSP on crops. In case, the bloc brings in a bill in the parliament on the issue, the Akali candidate will have no option but to support it and side with the bloc.

 

That would be the farthest the Akalis can go along with the Congress or the AAP or the INDIA bloc at this stage.  

 

Given the opposition being faced by the BJP in rural areas and the acceptability of the Congress, a possible understanding/agreement between the Congress and the Akalis may not be unimaginable, although it sounds highly improbable right now.