Gurdaspur defeat a big setback for BJP

The BJP has reason to be worried over the crushing defeat it has suffered at the hands of the Congress in a byelection in Gurdaspur, Punjab, which was virtually a BJP pocket borough when late cine actor Vinod Khanna represented it in the Lok Sabha times, in 1998, 1999, 2004 and 2014. This should serve as a wake-up call for the BJP which has lost its sheen in recent months with the perceived failure of some economic moves of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre, especially the demonetisation of high-value currency and the haste with which a half-baked Goods and Services Tax (GST) measure was pushed through. Punjab is indeed a unique case of a state in which the word of the Congress high command counts little. It is Chief Minister Amarinder Singh who rules the roost so much so that even in the last Assembly elections Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and other Central leaders had virtually no role to play in the victory of the Congress party. This time around, Amarinder was bolstered by the Congress candidate, Sunil Jakhar, being a formidable adversary. Jakhar has had a consistent reputation of being upright and efficient and is the son of former Lok Sabha Speaker Balram Jakhar. That Jakhar triumphed by over 1.93 lakh votes was an index of his personal popularity as also the useful prop that Amarinder was.

The BJP has only itself to blame for losing so much ground in Gurdaspur. The Punjab leadership of the BJP has been undynamic and woefully lacking in leadership qualities. Its association with the Akali Dal which had been forced on it by the party high command, has brought it a bad name rather than enhancing its clout. Public disenchantment with the Akalis has doubtlessly rubbed off on it. As for the Aam Aadmi Party, which had emerged as a third force in recent times, the sudden lack of interest shown by its supremo Arvind Kejriwal after the party’s disappointing show in the Assembly elections has damaged the party a great deal. A party that at one time showed tremendous drive and energy is today a pale shadow of its former self. Both the BJP and AAP need to re-discover themselves if they are to bounce back in Punjab. At present their condition looks pathetic. While Jakhar polled 4,99,752 votes, his BJP rival Swaran Salaria polled 3,06,533 and the AAP nominee Major General (Retd) Suresh Khajuria was placed third with a mere 23,579 votes. If the BJP and AAP are to be back in the reckoning in the State they need to pull up their socks. Piecemeal measures will not do.