Even as the BJP faced defeat in the party stronghold Gurdaspur, which it had represented since 1998, the party's alliance with SAD came under attack from Congress. Cabinet Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu said Akali Dal has been reduced to an albatross around BJP's neck.
"Time and again, people of Punjab have reprimanded the Akali leadership, but this time with our emphatic victory, BJP will also feel that Akali Dal is nothing but a burden for the party. It is, but an albatross around BJP's neck," said Sidhu. He added that BJP's defeat marked the disintegration of the alliance in the state.
SAD president Sukhbir Badal had campaigned for Salaria ahead of polls. While Congress mounted attack on the alliance, BJP candidate Swaran Salaria asserted that the margin of defeat was more in the Akali-dominated segments.
Out of the nine Assembly segments, four are considered to be BJP dominated, while five are with SAD. Salaria, said the party had lost majorly in the SAD-dominated areas. "We gained 50,000 votes in BJP strong belts. Akalis lost by 1.70 lakh votes in their strongholds. It is only the Akali area which has lost. BJP has not lost any votes," said Salaria, while talking to DNA.
He alleged that Congress government had exercised its political might to unfairly swing the results in their favour. "Congress government had literally removed polling agents from the polling stations. We reported 62 such cases," he alleged.
Congress MP Partap Singh Bajwa who had defeated late actor Vinod Khanna in 2009, but faced defeat in 2014 said, the result has exposed the rift between the two alliance partners.
"There are chinks in the armor. Earlier in Assembly elections BJP cadre had not gone alongwith their alliance partner, SAD and six months later, when BJP needed Akali support, they did not get the complete support," said Bajwa to DNA.
Gurdaspur had witnessed a dismal turnout of 56 per cent in the elections held on October 11, which was far lower than 70 % as recorded in 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
Apart from underlying resentment among the traders community against GST and demonetization, the recent allegations against SAD's senior leader from Gurdaspur, Sucha Singh Langah of sexually exploiting a widow are also said to have marred prospects of its alliance partner, BJP.
"The core vote of BJP is small shopkeepers, traders and industrialists and the core bank of the Akali Dal was farmers. Both groups have rejected SAD-BJP," said Bajwa.
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