Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal is understood to have decided to retain the post of the Akali Dal president. He has reportedly conveyed the message loud and clear to his senior party colleagues that he is no mood to give up the post of the party president.
According to Akali circles, Badal has adopted a more pragmatic and cautious approach in running the government as well as the party affairs this time. In order to ensure the smooth functioning of the government, Badal has decided to retain the post of the the party president.
According to sources close to the Chief Minister, Badal has also made up his mind to be firm in dealing with the Sikh clergy, particularly the head of the Akali Takht, the highest seat of spiritual and political authority of the Sikhs. The Chief Minister is believed to have told his close confidantes that he is now firm in his determination not to yield to any kind of political pressure from the Sikh clergy.
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Akali circles explain that Badal has learnt a political lesson from his past experience. During his second innings as Chief Minister of Punjab from 1977 to 1980, Akali rebels led by Jagdev Singh Talwandi, the then Akali president, had joined hands with the wily Gurcharan Singh Tohra, one of the seniormost Akali leaders, in their pursuit of dislodging Badal from the seat of power. Tohra was then continuing as president of the Shriomani Gurdwara Prabhandhak Committee (SGPC), also known as the Sikh parliament. Talwandi and Tohra had also submitted a memorandum against Badal to the then Akali Takht chief, demanding stern action against the Chief Minister.
Talwandi had also later submitted another memorandum against Badal, accusing him of corruption and other acts of ommission and commission.
Talwandi's memorandum against Badal had led to the setting up of a commission against the Chief Minister, which found him guilty.
Both Talwandi and Tohra are still around. Of course, Talwandi has lost his sheen but Tohra is still very active in Akali politics. He is still controlling the SGPC. Once a bitter critic of the BJP, now Tohra is an ardent supporter of the party. He is also insisting that Badal should appoint Balramji Dass Tandon, president of the state unit of the BJP and the present Punjab health minister, as the deputy Chief Minister. When asked to explain why the Akali Dal has not fulfilled its promise of appointing the BJP leaders as the deputy Chief Minister of Punjab, Tohra, known for his sharp wit says in a lighter vein: Is sarkar nu thoda ucha sunda hai (This government is a little hard of hearing.) It is evident that Tohra, never known to be an admirer of Badal, has started making digs.