- 38 minutes ago
A debate on the potential reunion between long-time allies Shiromani Akali Dal and the Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of the upcoming Punjab assembly elections. Senior Akali Dal leader and former cabinet minister Maheshinder Singh Grewal indicated that regional political equations necessitate an alliance, stating, 'In politics, no permanent enemies, no permanent friends.' BJP Punjab chief spokesperson Dr S.S. Channi emphasized historical cooperation for communal harmony and development, leaving final decisions to the party high command. Aam Aadmi Party national spokesperson Bikramjit Singh Passi dismissed both parties as having lost credibility in Punjab, asserting that their joint or separate efforts would yield zero results while defending the AAP government's record on law and order and anti-narcotics enforcement. Political analyst Rashid Kidwai noted the structural complexities of seat-sharing and predicted a tightly contested or hung assembly if political alignments shift, highlighting the electoral stakes across Punjab's major political fronts.
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00:00Is it now only a matter of time when the announcement will be made that old allies have reunited
00:07for the upcoming elections? Joining me on the show, Rashid Kidwai, author and political analyst.
00:13Mr. Graywal is a senior vice president of Fakali Dal and former cabinet minister. Dr. S.S. Chani
00:18is chief spokesperson of the BJP of Punjab and Bikram Jit Singh Pasi is a national spokesperson
00:24of the Ahmadinej Party. Mr. Graywal, let me begin with you. The BJP is preparing to contest
00:31all 117 seats is what they have been saying. But Akalis are also giving some kind of indication.
00:40We have seen what happened in 2019 and then what happened finally in 2024 when you contested
00:46separately. What makes you believe that a reunion can reverse the decline which has been there?
00:54Maria, first of all, I say adhaab to you. Good evening.
00:58Adhaab.
01:00See, the Punjab politics is a very interesting scene. And Shromani Akali Dal always took the
01:10decisions not for power but for the interest of the state. I just take a minute that in 1966
01:16when Punjabi Subha came into being, before that, all the parties were at loggerhead. Akali Dal was
01:25championing for Punjabi Subha. Congress was opposing it. So was then Jant Sang and all other parties.
01:34But when the elections were held after formation of Punjabi Subha, they all joined hands to oust the
01:40Congress. So Punjab has a different situation than the rest of the country. Now, in Punjab, it is
01:49a situation of very uncomfortable political setup. There is no law and order.
01:58So in this uncomfortable political setup, you feel that you are best placed to have an alliance partner
02:06like the BJP. Yes. The reason is that we can't go for Congress because of Operation Blue Star and the
02:14misdeeds and the wrong acts committed by the AAP. So they both players are not parties which we can
02:26alliance. Okay. So you can't ally with the Aam Admi Party, no question whatsoever. They are in
02:33government. You are in opposition. Also with the Congress Party, fine enough. So the only option is
02:37BJP. So it's only a matter of announcement now. So Dr. Chani, come in now. The BJP's vote share rose
02:43from 6.6% in the 2022 Assembly elections to 18.56% in the 2024 Lok Sabai elections. Yet
02:52it won zero
02:53parliamentary seats in Punjab. Do you feel that this is needed? That voters will trust you
03:01only if you have a local party such as the Akhali's in partnership?
03:08First of all, good news to you and my co-panelists and all the viewers. You know, since 2022,
03:18the BJP has been in a position to fight elections of its own. We contested all the 13 parliament
03:25seats. Then we contested all the 117 Loks, Vedansaba seats and then even the municipal and
03:33panchayat elections. No, you may be contesting, but you have seen the results.
03:39Yes, yes. That's there. You are contesting, but you are not winning.
03:43That's there, but we are improving. Now, listen to me. What I want to tell you is that I, to
03:50some
03:50extent, I endorse the views of Ms. Meshantar Garewal. Because, you know, the people of Punjab,
03:57as he said, and we also say the same thing, Punjab is a different state. It's totally different than
04:02other states. And it has a different culture, different pattern, different history and past.
04:09So, the BJP and Kali Dal has been in alliance since 1996. But it was mainly for the communal
04:17harmony and the development of the state. Because without a good line of order and without communal
04:23harmony, no state can, especially like Punjab, can really think out.
04:27So, the Kali's broke this alliance in 2020, 2020, because of farm laws.
04:35Yeah, that was their season. We didn't leave them. They left us. And, you know, and I must
04:43say one thing more, that this season rests with the Heikman. Maybe their Heikman also and
04:49our Heikman as well.
04:50So, basically, it's history. Both the sides have forgotten what happened in 2020 and you
04:56have decided to move on?
04:58No. In politics, you know, there are many things which happened. And you may have, you
05:03can call it that you know.
05:04Yeah, let's listen to Grewal, sir. Grewal, sir.
05:06Mariya, you are a very wise anchor and you know everything. In politics, no permanent enemies,
05:15no permanent friends. But you must have heard Mr. Sukhbir Singh's statement today after meeting
05:22the governor. He said for Akali Dal, first is Punjab, power is a secondary thing. Punjab,
05:29what Punjab wants, Akali Dal is bound and committed for that. So, it has to be for the betterment
05:37of Punjab and Punjabis. The phase through which the Punjab is passing out today.
05:42No, but tell me, Mr. Grewal, as a veteran politician yourself, what does the BJP bring on the table
05:49if an alliance happens?
05:53See, Mariya, you know that when there is a question of marriage, the first thing is the
05:59family background is seen. Rest things are happening after it's a solemnized. See,
06:15it is the confidence should be between the parties. It's not a shop that we have to make a first
06:25haggling and then sort out. See, I don't think that any sane political party will like to play Punjab
06:33the same way it was played in the late 80s. Punjab suffered a lot and present situation in the
06:40Punjab is worse than the 80s. Mariya, I am in politics for the last four decades.
06:46It's really, really, I will invite you that you come yourself and assess yourself.
06:51It's very unsafe.
06:53I'll be there, sir. I'll be on ground zero covering this election. So, let me bring in others on the
06:57show
06:57as well. Mr. Pasi, help me understand, how worried are you if this alliance actually takes
07:05shape? You know, if you look at the two spokespersons and, you know, one of them is a senior leader
07:11of
07:11the Kali Dal. So, he is privy to certainly more details. He has given all the indication that it's
07:17only a matter of time. Now, it is about announcement that is left. The deal is through.
07:25Mariya, good evening to you and very respectable Maheshindra Garewalji, Channiji and my other
07:29co-panelists and viewers. Mariya, this is not a question of any political harmony or benefits of
07:37Punjab. Both the parties have lost their credibility in Punjab. People of Punjab are not going to put any
07:45faith upon both these parties because they have did so many misdeeds in Punjab during their tenure
07:52between 2007 to 2017. So, zero plus zero is equal to zero. Either they come together or they come
08:01separately in elections. The result will be the same because the people have no faith upon both these
08:08political parties. In their rule, the Punjab first time heard about Chitta. The Punjab first time
08:14heard about gangsters. And the joint rule of both these parties was the, you can say, curse for
08:23Punjab. And now come to the present situation. Present situation is indicating that in March 2026,
08:30when Mr. Amitsar came to Punjab, he was saying that in all these seats, we are going to contest
08:36independently. We are going to contest alone. But they have seen the actual base of their
08:44party. And now both the parties are trying to say that they are coming in a joint venture. But
08:59are you not worried that all the promises that you made ahead of the elections, when you said that you
09:06will end the entire menace of drugs in a matter of six months, that has not been implemented. Drug remains
09:14a reality of Punjab and its youth. What we have guaranteed, we have fulfilled all these guarantees and
09:21even more than that. And regarding the drugs, we have tried our best. We have given best results in
09:27whole India. And moreover, if you talk about…
09:31Let me complete one question, one answer, then ask the other, please. If you talk about the law and
09:40order situation, it is the NCRB data, which says that Punjab is on second place to implement the law
09:46and order situation to control the crime. And in Haryana, the crime ratio is 739, 739,
09:54whereas in Punjab is 227. And who will be the big brother if they come joint?
09:59Okay. So, who will be the big brother? That's a valid question. I will get response from both
10:04Mr. Chani and Mr. Greval. But Rashid is a political analyst and he has been waiting extremely patiently.
10:12So, let me bring in Rashid. Rashid, looking at pure numbers, the BJP and Akali together
10:20polled 31.98 percent in the Lok Sabha elections. That was below their combined number in 2019,
10:29which was around 37.08 percent. If this reunion actually happens, you know, because it was one,
10:38you know, the fact is that the BJP Akalis, they have been one of the oldest alliances that India has
10:44seen
10:44in Indian politics, 23 years and counting. Do you think they will be able to come up with a narrative
10:52and come up with an idea which will be seen as a pure alternative to Amadmi Party in Punjab?
10:59Because Punjab also has an important player in the Congress Party.
11:05Absolutely. So, Maria, I think, you know, the Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, he's very confident
11:09and he's been talking about, you know, the BJP is bringing a surprise in Punjab and doing very well.
11:15But I think alliances are formed from the position of strength.
11:19And if the minor player is, you know, views itself as very powerful, in this case being the BJP,
11:26then the Akali Dal will have problems. So, there will be structural problems.
11:29And I think Amadmi Party has made huge inroads.
11:32So, when we look at the vote share, particularly in assembly elections,
11:36you see a lot of, you know, Akali votes have gone to the Amadmi Party and so has the Congress
11:41votes.
11:42So, therefore, Amadmi Party, is there going to be collapse?
11:44I don't see that happening. And some of the surveys have also indicated.
11:48So, as long as AAP is holding on to its position and Mr. Maan's email...
11:53Are you seeing a triangular contest?
11:55I am seeing a hung house. Frankly, I don't see anybody, you know, crossing a majority mark.
12:00So, in that case, it will be quite, you know, mind-boggling how, you know,
12:05the political parties will align together.
12:07Just as a, you know, a matter of just...
12:09I mean, in 2022, it was a wave election for the Amadmi Party.
12:14Even if they come down, how bad can they do?
12:18How bad...
12:19If there is a slide, how bad can it be?
12:23So, Mania, we have seen that, you know, it's bad, then sometimes it gets very bad.
12:27We have seen it in Delhi, what happened to Amadmi Party.
12:29But I don't, personally, in my assessment, I don't see Amadmi Party falling to that Delhi standard
12:34and collapsing or handing over power.
12:37So, it will be a hung house.
12:38And let me remind you, you see, in the pre-independent era,
12:41in fact, the Akalis and the Congress were together.
12:44So, you know, there is all kind of mind-boggling possibilities exist.
12:47All political parties will deny.
12:49But I think the BJP will remain on one side and the Congress on the other side.
12:53And the other political parties will have to find a way who they align with.
12:58It will be a fascinating contest, certainly, in Punjab.
13:02So, since the Amadmi Party spokesperson raised the question of who will be the big brother
13:07in this alliance between the BJP and the Kalis,
13:11I think in those 23 years, as an observer of politics,
13:16what I saw was that in Delhi, it was a different equation.
13:20In Punjab, it was a totally different equation.
13:22BJP agreed to be a smaller brother in the state of Punjab.
13:26In Delhi, the BJP, being a national party, was the big brother.
13:29Isn't that a fair assessment, Mr. Greval?
13:32Maria, you are perfectly right, see, I tell you, I will take your one minute
13:36because I think nobody allows Punjabis to speak.
13:39But in Maria's rule, we must be able to speak the things.
13:43In 1996, when Atal Behari Vajpi led the BJP, they got 172 seats.
13:5018 seats were got by the Shev Sena.
13:54They had full number of 190, much short of the total absolute majority of 272.
14:00And Akali Dal contested that election in alliance with the BSP.
14:04And the Akali's won 10 seats and 9 seats and the BSP got 3 seats and one went to the
14:11Congress.
14:13But when it comes to the formation of government, knowing fully well,
14:17knowing fully well that the government is not going to survive the flow test,
14:23we stood with the Paharti Janata Party for the sake of communal harmony in Punjab,
14:31national interest.
14:32It was not a power game.
14:33My friend, Mr. Patsi from AAP is worried about our status.
14:39We are not AAP.
14:41That we in Chandigarh, in case of mayor, you support the Congress in Punjab, you give them bites.
14:48In national level, you join India.
14:51In Punjab, you fight with each other.
14:53And still you are joint holders.
14:56Any day you can join hands with the Congress.
14:59What about the expert was saying?
15:03Maria, one thing you also must be keeping in mind that this parliament election in 2024,
15:09they have 94 MLA's and what their chief minister and the leadership was saying,
15:16we will sweep the poor, nobody will get a single seat.
15:19What happened?
15:20They got only two.
15:21Rather, they only won two seats.
15:23Bushyarpur and Sangroor with a margin of more than one lakh.
15:28The Anandpur-Sah was just 10,000 votes.
15:30So they lost practically 11 seats.
15:34Punjab is a snakes and ladder.
15:36When you reach 99, you can come to zero, not to the 100.
15:42So keep this thing in mind.
15:45Killing of Mr. Jhuta, gang.
15:48And I tell this gentleman, in the last two days, two police constables were arrested with millions of rupees.
15:58Chitta, they can't, a simple constable can't dare to carry such a big consignment until they're a political pattern.
16:07This I'm not saying.
16:09This is the statement of Tejriwal and Pagwantaman.
16:11Mr. Pasi, you know, that certainly is a matter of concern because with the CBI taking over these cases
16:19and in the last, you know, few days as well, your own target of ensuring that it becomes a drug
16:29-free Punjab,
16:30that hasn't really happened.
16:32You don't have a measurable success.
16:34And this killing of Jhuta Singh has certainly changed how this entire, you know, how the enforcement has failed,
16:48how the illegal trade, the drug trade is continuing, and the Aam Admi Party government has much to explain.
16:58It's an organized crime in which it is evident that the political class has much to explain
17:07as much as the cops on the ground and the law enforcement agencies.
17:12Maria, this is the Punjab police who has arrested the accused within 24 hours.
17:17And what happened in the regime of Akali Bhajpa government, in 2013, there were 805 murders
17:25and even 17 target killings in 2016 and 17.
17:29I remember Mr. Gagneja, Ramesh Kumar, Chand Kaur, Mata, so many things.
17:34So a crime is committed by a criminal, but in the regime of Akali Bhajpa government,
17:40the accused were going there and there freely.
17:44But in our government, a strict action has been taken against the accused persons, criminals.
17:49And within 24 hours, every criminal has either in jail or in hospital.
17:53And this is the law and order situation in Punjab, which has been maintained by Aam Admi Party government.
17:58And NCRB data says that Punjab is on second place in maintaining the law and order.
18:04And third thing is, third thing is, third thing is, yes, NCRB data, I have.
18:09And in Haryana, 2023, 1,042 murders, 1,042 murders in one year, 2023.
18:19I have another year's detail also.
18:21So the actual law and order situation is worst in BJP ruling states.
18:26And whether the Akali Dal has no right to speak on Chandigarh, but has the Akali Dal lost their vision
18:37over waters of Punjab?
18:39Whether the Akali Dal is going to accept the anti-farmers American trade deal?
18:46Whether the issues of farmers have been settled by central government?
18:49A lot of questions being asked.
18:51Dr. Chani, quickly, 30 seconds.
18:53And then I'll give the last word to Rashid.
18:55Go ahead, 30 seconds.
18:57I don't know what he wants to say.
18:59He's trying to say, you know, the things have been bad here and there.
19:03But the people gave them 92 MLA's.
19:07What have they done?
19:08You know, they have ruined the state of Punjab.
19:11They have ruined the culture.
19:12They have ruined the youth of the state.
19:14And they have eaten up one generation.
19:17And, you know, now we say that even the delivery of the pizza can be delayed.
19:22But, you know, in every nook and koran of the state, you can just order and have the pudi,
19:29pudi, who we call it, you know, small packet of chita.
19:31So, you know, they have done the maximum damage to the state of Punjab.
19:38And my friend is not telling.
19:39I ask him one thing.
19:41Where is the fear?
19:43They are patronizing.
19:45They are, you know, totally, you know, they are mixed with them.
19:50And even the police in uniform, then everybody.
19:54And they're just mixed up with them.
19:56And every leader is giving them the pertinence.
20:01Rats have eaten.
20:02It is the report of Gujarat government.
20:05Oh, my dear friend, tell us that who makes the pudis and who delivers.
20:09And what are you doing?
20:11The master is sitting in Gujarat.
20:14And this environment, I have been the deputy commissioner for six years and during days of terrorism.
20:20And during those days, it was not that bad as they are happening now.
20:26Okay, so let me try and sum up this conversation.
20:29Dr. Graywal and Dr. Chani, so it's a matter of announcement only.
20:32Dr. Graywal first.
20:34That the deal is done.
20:35It's only a matter of announcement, Dr. Graywal.
20:37Mariya, tell you, it is for the high command to decide.
20:41Yes, okay.
20:42But high command, do you have information?
20:44Tell me.
20:45No, the information you will tell me on the phone.
20:48You can tell me on the TV.
20:51One thing I would like to tell Mariya.
20:53My gentleman friend, Masi, said so many things.
20:56I just asked him a very simple question.
20:59Mr. Masi, if you have shown the wonderful thing results in Punjab,
21:03why you couldn't get a single-seater in Haryana, which is the home state of your convener?
21:08Why you couldn't get even 1% vote in Himachal?
21:11You got in Punjab only for one reason.
21:14Because Punjabis believe and trust a person, what he speaks from the mouth.
21:19All right.
21:19I have just enough time for Rashid Kidwai.
21:22Rashid, it's an important election for Punjab and also for the Congress Party, I would say.
21:28They have been in opposition.
21:29And here is the BJP with its old alliance partner, which has governed Punjab for a significant number of years,
21:38making all issues, raising the issue particularly of drugs, that will resonate with the people.
21:44Do you think Congress needs to get its act together to be seen in this important battlefield?
21:51So, Mariya, I think that's been a writing on the wall.
21:54Congress is a natural party for governance.
21:56As far as Punjab is concerned, it has roots and deep roots in society, both among the Sikh community as
22:02well as among the Hindus and Dalits and all segments of society.
22:06But because its house is not in order, though Mr. Sachin Pailat is trying hard, there is a problem.
22:12Both Amadvi Party and the Congress are fighting a very grim battle of survival.
22:17Because, you know, if they lose, if they fail to win, then there is nowhere.
22:20I would just say one thing for my friends of Akali and BGP.
22:25In politics, two and two not necessarily convert into four.
22:30All right, that's quintessential Rashid summing it up.
22:34Thank you so much for joining us, Mr. Greval, Dr. Channi, Mr. Pasi and also Rashid Kidwai.