Punjab’s deputy chief minister Sukhbir Badal seems intent on ousting his older first cousin and the state finance minister Manpreet Badal from the Shiromani Akali Dal or as party insiders said, “at least force him to quit the government”.
The succession struggle within the Badal clan suddenly turned a lot more serious on Saturday, when all 26 of the Akali Dal’s district jathedars or chiefs were summoned to Chandigarh to demand action against the finance minister for his defiance and refusing to toe the party line.
Evidently there on directions of the deputy chief minister who is also the SAD president, the jathedars were all vehemently critical of Mr Manpreet Badal’s proposals to end popular subsidies, including free power to farmers and called on Mr Sukhbir Badal to “take (Manpreet’s) indiscipline very seriously and impart severe punishment to set an example for others so that nobody dares speak against the party and its policies.”
Also present at the district jathedars’ news conference, veteran leader and senior member of the SAD’s disciplinary committee (constituted just yesterday) Mr Gurdev Singh Badal disclosed that the committee “has already recommended strict action against the finance minister.”
The jathedars insisted the Akali Dal’s position on the question of subsidies and other issues was clearly stated in the February 2007 election manifesto.
“There are forums to discuss matters both within the party and the government instead of deliberately courting controversy by going to the press,” said Bathinda district chief Sikander Maluka.
Interestingly though, none of the senior leaders present had the courage to specify just what the exemplary punishment for Mr Manpreet Badal, who is the son of chief minister Parkash Singh Badal’s older brother, should be.
But even though deputy CM Sukhbir Badal has ostensibly remained aloof of the hectic anti-Manpreet campaign being orchestrated from the SAD’s headquarters in Chandigarh, party insiders are convinced “the current row can only end with the finance minister’s eventual ouster”.
Meanwhile, chief minister Badal, who is still in hospital recuperating from his recent fall, has characteristically chosen to remain silent on the entire issue.