Will Manpreet bite the bait Badal has thrown at him?

Sunday, 28/07/2013

http://www.punjabnewsline.com/punjab/will-manpreet-bite-the-bait-badal-has-thrown-at-himij/83651

CHANDIGARH: There is a joke about the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. When tickets were being decided during 2007 assembly elections, two of the aspirants were talking to each other about a particular seat as what Badal was going to do about it. One of them told the other, “only Badal or the God should be knowing what is going on in Badal’s mind”. The other one remarked, “ Badal may not have revealed his mind even to God”. That is a classic description of Badal who never reveals his cards and keeps these close to his heart.

The shrewd octogenarian politician and country’s oldest Chief Minister always keeps everybody guessing whether they be his friends or foes or colleagues. And when on Saturday he remarked in Bathinda that his estranged nephew Manpreet Badal was a “Badal family member only”, he must have conveyed a subtle message and signal that he is still not averse to a rapprochement and his nephew may still be welcome back into the party.

And this may not necessarily be for love alone. Badal actually loves Manpreet so much. Preferring Sukhbir over him about Akali Dal leadership and Chief Ministership (which is yet to come for Sukhbir) is a different matter. Badal may have some other things in mind than just the love for Manpreet.

Given the experience Badal has in politics he understands it too well that Manpreet Badal if fielded as a joint candidate by the Congress and Sanjha Morcha against his daughter in law Harsiat Kaur Badal from Bathinda parliamentary constituency may prove to be too formidable. Manpreet can actually defeat Harsiat for multiple reasons as among other factors anti-incumbency against the Akalis has started showing up and can best be reflected in Bathinda. It is not always possible to buy a victory in the elections as the Akalis are known for.

As they say nothing is impossible in politics and there are no permanent friends or foes in politics, Badal seems to be playing his cards accordingly. Moreover, Manpreet Badal, in  Badal’s own words, is no stranger but a member of Badal family only.

The senior Badal has not only the experience but expectations also. Interestingly in 2012 assembly elections when Manpreet was fighting a battle for his survival and had fielded his own father Gurdas Badal against the senior Badal (Gurdas Badal is  Badal’s younger brother), from Lambi assembly segment he (Gurdas Badal) got lowest number of votes, 5352 votes, among the nine assembly segments falling in the Bathinda parliamentary constituency making it obvious that the senior Badal had won over either his younger brother or both of them (Gurdas and Manpreet) to ensure his victory from Lambi.

So it was not just off the cuff joking remark from the senior Badal that Manpreet is no stranger but very much a member of the Badal family. He already seems to have thrown up the bait at Manpreet. Whether he bites it or not remains to be seen.