Will Bhagwant Mann Repeat Bhajan Lal’s 45-Year-Old Political Move?
Gustakhi Maaf Haryana — Pawan Kumar Bansal
Will Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann repeat what Haryana Chief Minister Bhajan Lal did 45 years ago?
Political observers are drawing parallels between the pressures faced by Bhajan Lal in the early 1980s and the challenges confronting Mann today. After the Congress victory in the mid-term Lok Sabha elections and the return of Indira Gandhi to power, Bhajan Lal famously defected along with his entire Janata Party government in Haryana and merged with the Congress to retain power.
At the time, it was widely believed that the Indira Gandhi government was preparing to dismiss the Haryana government headed by Bhajan Lal. To safeguard his administration, Bhajan Lal chose to switch loyalties instead. During a meeting with Indira Gandhi, he is said to have pleaded with folded hands: “Congress is my mother. I had left the party because of the excesses committed by Bansi Lal, who was close to Indira Gandhi and part of the powerful caucus that ruled the country during the dark days of the Emergency.”
Today, Bhagwant Mann too appears to be under increasing political pressure from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP leadership. Central agencies have intensified scrutiny of several of his cabinet colleagues, while defections of AAP leaders — including Rajya Sabha members shifting towards the BJP — have added to the uncertainty.
Speculation has further gathered momentum after some of Mann’s close relatives reportedly joined the BJP. Following its political successes elsewhere, including West Bengal, the BJP is believed to be aggressively expanding its footprint in Punjab, using every possible political strategy to strengthen its position in the state.