The BJP is leaving no stone unturned to find a foothold in Punjab. Its machinery is working overtime to persuade leaders from other parties, mainly the Congress to switch sides. And to some extent, its efforts are apparently succeeding too as was seen on Saturday when four former cabinet ministers and a former MLA of the Congress jumped onto the BJP bandwagon.
Those who joined the BJP include former cabinet ministers Gurpreet Singh Kangarl, Balbir Sidhu, Sham Sundar Arora, and Raj Kumar Verka besides former MLA Kewal Singh Dhillon. Two Akali leaders also switched sides.
However, if the credentials of these ex-ministers are taken into account, it will be realised that they had been accused of indulging in corruption. One of the ministers was allegedly involved in large-scale illegal mining besides patronising the mafia.
He did not bother to listen to the public outcry as he probably shared the booty with the then Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh. This minister, as per unconfirmed reports, bought two cargo ships with the lush money and was now in dire need of someone who could assure him safety and security from the Bhagwant Mann government. And he found BJP as his 'Masiha.'
Another minister is facing an inquiry for clandestinely selling off land worth several crores of rupees belonging to a defunct public sector enterprise in Mohali for just Rs 45 lakhs. The then Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh neither took any prompt action nor dropped the minister from the cabinet. His conduct is also under the scanner of the Bhagwant Mann government.
Yet another minister who joined Congress on Saturday had been indulging in illegal mining through his brother. The minister in question is also accused of grabbing panchayat land in Mohali.
The ex-MLA who switched sides yesterday is an industrialist who runs a bottling plant of a soft drink and has been accused of large-scale tax evasion.
Now the question arises will the BJP gain from these disgruntled and tainted leaders of the Congress who lost the Assembly election with huge margins. The only consolation for the BJP is that it inducted some "experienced" politicians of Congress.
Let's go a little backward. Just before the election many Congressmen including the then cabinet minister Rana Gurmeet Sodhi, who was dropped by the new CM Charanjit Singh Channi, and MLA Fateh Jang Bajwa quit Congress to join the BJP. Many other Congressmen too quit the party to join the saffron brigade. But despite that, the BJP could not open its account in the state Assembly meaning thereby that it had inducted dead wood.
Nevertheless, the BJP has been making constant efforts to make inroads in Punjab. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a very humble manner, before Assembly polls, announced the withdrawal of three controversial farm laws which had led to a year-long agitation by farmers' organisations.
This agitation germinated from Punjab and had spread to the rest of the country. But still, the BJP could not make any electoral gains by generously accepting the demand of the farmers. The people did not vote for it and its allies, Captain led the Punjab Congress and Dhindsa led the Sanyukt Akali Dal.
Let us also take into account the proposed Rs 44000 crore worth of developmental projects that the Prime Minister was to announce in Ferozpur just before the imposition of the election code of conduct. Mr. Modi could not reach the venue as protesting farmers blocked the highway forcing him to return. The electorate did not get allured by the Rs 44000 crore which was to be pumped into Punjab.
At least on two much-publicised occasions, the PM invited Sikh intellectuals to his residence and heard their grievances and suggestions to improve the living conditions of Punjabis. But were these intellectuals having any grassroots contact with the people of the state? This will remain a question to debate.