The ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today gained an absolute majority on its own in the 117-member Punjab Assembly even as ties with its ally BJP are not an even keel after eight years in power.
The Akali Dal had created a history of sorts in the state under the leadership of its stalwart Parkash Singh Badal (87) when it defeated Congress in two successive Assembly polls in 2007 and 2012, but failed to get a majority on its own.
However, despite winning twice in succession, SAD had to bank upon its ally BJP to form the government in the state.
In 2007, the SAD mustered 49 seats and its ally BJP 19 to form the government in the state replacing Congress led by Amarinder Singh.
SAD again was short of majority at its own in 2012 assembly polls as the party could win on 56 seats and its ally BJP bagged 12 seats paving way for the alliance to form the government.
The Dhuri victory has taken the tally of SAD to 59, giving the party an absolute majority and making it independent of BJP in the assembly.
The relations between SAD and BJP in the past eight years had soured on several occasions and it was the intervention of Badal that enabled the alliance to remain in power.
Badal had tooth and nail opposed the proposal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to interlink rivers claiming that it has no extra water to give it to any other state.
Besides, Badal is opposed to unbundling of Food Corporation of India (FCI) and doing away with the practice of giving subsidies, much to the dismay of BJP.
BJP leaders, including cabinet minister Anil Joshi, and Chief Parliamentary Secretary Navjot Kaur Sidhu, wife of cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Sidhu, had on number of times raised their voices against the Akalis.
