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Akalis set out to create history,
ate humble pie
WSN Network
 NEW DELHI: For
nearly a month, the entire Punjab Cabinet was stationed in Delhi.
Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa was incharge of all of
Delhi
for Akali Dal's campaign, and Bikram Singh Majithia, brother-in-law
of Sukhbir Singh Badal and a minister in Punjab Government, was
incharge of
Rajaori
Garden
seat.
Putting pretence
aside, the Akali Dal had openly declared that three of its
candidates were fighting on BJP ticket and only one was fighting on
Akali Dal ticket. Why the BP did not allow the Akalis to use their
own symbol, and why the Akalis did not insist on it is astory that
will unravel all the layers of the Hindutva assimilation debate.
Anyway, the
Akalis meanwhile were in war mode and Sukhbir Singh Badal had termed
that Akali Dal will create history in
Delhi. One did
not know if a single assembly seat won with the help of the entire
party top brass can be a history creating step, but at least Akali
Dal's man of the moment believed it to be so.
Now, the poor
president of the Akali Dal had to eat humble pie served on a
platter, but he did not choke on his words. Poor Avtar Singh Hit,
that paragon of virtue whose role in managing the witnesses of the
1984 anti-Sikh genocide is by now well documented, lost in
Rajouri Garden.
The other three pehelwans of the Akalis who had splattered some
saffron dirt on their faces and careers by agreeing to fight on BJP
symbols also ate some dust.
Politicos tastes
are taking the plunge these days, and
Delhi elections
showed it clearly to Sukhbir that you need to understand how history
is created from a teacher better than Avtar Singh Hit.
The other three
candidates had contested in Jangpura, Adarsh Nagar and Shahdara,
with of course similar fate.
But who learns
lessons in times of instant baptism-instant presidentship? “It was
the first time we contested an election on our own party symbol
outside
Punjab
and almost won. We are quite satisfied with our performance,” said
SAD’s
Delhi
state president Manjit Singh G.K.
Akalis had lost
similarly in 2003 too when they had put up candidates from Rajouri
Garden, Gandhi Nagar, Jangpura and Adarsh Nagar seats.
10 December
2008
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