Sukhbir banishes Manpreet
Days after he was unceremoniously ousted from the government, Punjab’s former finance minister Manpreet Badal has also been expelled from the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal, which is headed by his first cousin and the state’s deputy chief minister Mr Sukhbir Badal.
The expulsion order on Wednesday followed Mr Manpreet Badal’s refusal to present himself before the party’s disciplinary committee and explain his continual opposition of the Akali Dal’s programs and policies including the specific issue of popular subsidies like free electric power to the farm sector.
SAD secretary and senior spokesman Daljit Cheema said, “Keeping in view the recommendations of the disciplinary committee of the party, the Shiromani Akali Dal has decided to expel Sardar Manpreet Singh Badal from the primary membership of the party.”
Notably, Mr Manpreet Badal, who has been drawing large sympathetic crowds since he was sacked as minister, had categorically rejected the disciplinary committee’s authority to summon or question him. “As a minister of the state government I am only answerable to the chief minister and not legally or morally bound to respond to disciplinary proceedings within the party,” he said.
Political analysts said while Manpreet Badal’s ouster from both the government and the party must be seen as an “immediate victory” for his cousin Sukhbir Badal, the former finance minister, who also represents the influential Badal Clan, could well emerge as a formidable future challenge.
Schooled in politics by chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, his paternal uncle, Mr Manpreet Badal, who has declared he will “never play second fiddle,” could draw away a substantial chunk of the Shiromani Akali Dal’s traditional support base ahead of the Assembly elections due by February 2012.
But also known to play his politics aggressively, Mr Sukhbir Badal is already working overtime to restrict his older cousin. Of the three SAD legislators supporting Manpreet, Sant Ajit Singh of Anandpur Sahib has been wooed back into the party fold, while Mr Manjinder Singh Kang and Mr Jagbir Brar have been served show-cause notices to explain their support for the rebel former minister.
Post new comment