SAD After Parkash Singh Badal: Big Question Before Sukhbir Is How To Turn Around Party From Worst Phase

The passing away of Punjab’s tallest political leader, five-time chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, marks the end of an era. He has left a lasting legacy that has impacted the state's political, social, and economic landscape. Making his debut in politics at the age of 20 years when he contested and won the post of a sarpanch, he never looked back. From being the youngest CM of the state in his 40s to being the oldest in his late 80s, Badal crossed several milestones and dominated the political narrative as a colossus. 

An 11-time legislator, Badal won his first assembly election as a Congress candidate. However, he left the party shortly afterwards and emerged as the leading light of Akalis. He took active part during the Akali Morcha and was also in the forefront to protest violation of human rights and to press for the state’s rights after the reorganisation of states in 1966. He raised his voice against the imposition of Emergency and had been kept behind bars for over 18 months. In fact, he went to jail multiple times during his long political career.

During one of the many interactions I had with him, he chuckled that among the other important statistics of his political life is the fact that he was the “most jailed” political leader of the country! 

Badal: The Leader With Grassroot Connect And Friends In All Quarters 

Undoubtedly, one of his major contributions was to take all sections of people together in a state dominated in almost equal measure by Sikhs and Hindus. Despite the best efforts made by vested interests to divide the people, particularly during the dark days of militancy, he stood out and ensured that the age-old bond between the two major communities was not vitiated. 

Badal had a particular knack of making friends and to reconcile differences even with his political rivals and strongest critics. He had no qualms about reaching out and visiting them to seek a way out of any controversy. He also kept his cool in the face of the worst provocations and extended a friendly hand to everyone. 

He had developed an amazing grassroots connect and made it a point to visit families of persons known to him for offering condolences for the loss of any family member. His humble and patriarchal persona left a deep imprint on millions who came in his contact.

It is no wonder that leaders from across the political spectrum have paid genuine tributes to the towering leader. These include those with whom his party had severed ties or had irreconcilable differences. 

Besides his political and social contributions, he played a pivotal role in transforming the state into a hub of agricultural, industrial, and economic activity. His contributions to education, healthcare, and infrastructure continue to benefit the people of Punjab. 

The Big Question: Who After Badal?

Although Badal gave up the presidentship of Shiromani Akali Dal in 2017 after remaining at the helm for over 20 years, he continued to remain the father figure and a binding force for the party till his last breath. The big question now would be how the party is steered by his son Sukhbir Singh Badal who took over the mantle in 2017. 

The senior Badal has gone at a time when his party is going through its worst phase. The Shiromani Akali Dal and the Congress had been sharing power since the formation of current Punjab in 1966. Even when his party was on the losing side, it secured a substantial percentage of votes.

However, the assembly elections last year witnessed an almost annihilation of the party, along with the Congress, when it could win only three seats. The extreme frustration among the people against the two dominating parties had led to the emergence of the Aam Aadmi Party, which managed to come to power with a thumping majority. Akali Dal continued its bad run in the byelection to Lok Sabha caused by CM Bhagwant Mann vacating his Lok Sabha seat. The party candidate lost even his security deposit, and the seat was won by Simranjit Singh Mann, who heads his own Akali Dal faction and is counted among the radical Akali leaders. That his party had ceded political space to a radical outfit must have caused immense concern to the senior Badal. The humiliating defeat in the Punjab elections had also led to some leaders parting ways with SAD.

Sukhbir Singh Badal now has a big task ahead — to emerge from the shadows of the dominating presence of his father and lead the party back to its glorious days. It’s not going to be an easy task. His biggest challenge would be to take along various sections of the party and reach out to the established and experienced leaders for their guidance and support. For that, he shall have to follow in the footsteps of his father and take lessons from his illustrious life.

The author is a senior journalist and former Resident Editor of The Indian Express, Chandigarh.

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