The Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) has lost its credibility in Punjab after the Bargari sacrilege and Behbal Kalan police killings. The Sikhs in Punjab voted Congress in an act of revenge against the Badals.  WSN columnist Prabhdial Singh Saini reflects upon the possibilities of political change in Punjab and points out that it would be interesting to see who will Narendra Modi and Amit Shah bless -overtly the Akalis or covertly Amarinder Singh?

In its upbeat mood, should the Bhartiya Janta Party break its alliance with the Badal Dal, in the coming times, the urban population in Punjab will shift towards the BJP. The equation may change overnight.

Notwithstanding the induction of one minister from the Akali Dal and one from the BJP in Punjab in the Narendra Modi cabinet, the BJP is already eyeing this and its thinking minions are working on this on the drawing board.

The performance of the Punjab Democratic Alliance (PDA) and of AAP has been pretty dismal. The AAP could have been an alternative but it is almost finished in Punjab due to adamant attitude of Kejriwal and other Delhi-based leaders. Honesty alone does not win you electoral battles.

In 2022 assembly elections, the BJP may wipe out Congress from Punjab. The writing is on the wall. Already the RSS has made inroads into many Sikh institutions. As the Badal Dal stands weakened and new Sikh leaders waiting in the wings to join the BJP, there is no stopping them.

Many known names are likely to become BJP or non-BJP-but-BJP-blessed-faces in Punjab, the first taste of which are likely to get in the SGPC elections, likely to be held before the Assembly polls.

If Punjab CM Amarinder Singh punishes the guilty of Behbal Kalan and Bargari Kalan,  Sikhs may stay aligned with the  Congress. There are indications of this in the charge sheet filed by the SIT, but still, we have to keep our fingers crossed till the final curtains are drawn.

The people in Punjab are now in a mood to support that party with full zeal and spirit, which will finish the Badals and reinvigorate the demands and interests of the people of the state. It may be the Congress or the BJP. There is some space for a third party but who will that be, depends upon many permutations and combinations of various groups.

With BJP in power at the centre and his pro-BJP stance, will the Punjab CM have the courage to do that? It appears that Amarinder Singh to is also waiting for a signal from Modi. Most probably, Modi will get the Badals finished politically only through Capt. Amrinder.

SGPC Elections, whenever they happen, will be a good indicator of what the political scene will be in the coming times.