Akalis may rejoin NDA, Cabinet
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) is preparing to rejoin the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) sooner than expected. The Akali Dal had quit the NDA and Union Cabinet in September. 2020 in protest against three farm bills. The SAD said that the "Modi govt is being stubborn and insensitive towards the issues of farmers, Sikhs and Punjabis."
After a prolonged agitation, the Modi government withdrew the three Farm bills in December 2021. It was speculated that Harsimat Kaur Badal who held the Food Processing ministry portfolio, will be re-inducted into the Cabinet. But BJP's hardliners in Punjab were against the move and said it's time to come out of the shadow of the Akalis. The BJP and Akalis contested the Punjab Assembly polls separately and paid a heavy price as AAP swept the polls. The BJP was heavily relying on defectors from all the parties to win the polls including former Chief Minister Capt. Amrinder Singh. But nothing worked for the BJP and feelers were sent to the SAD to return to the NDA.
Informed sources say that US-based billionaire Darshan Singh Dhaliwal, who was deported from the Delhi airport in October 2021, played a key role in the BJP-Akali Dal patch-up bid. Dhaliwal may have been deported back to the USA from the Delhi Airport itself as he funded “langar” to agitating farmers in Delhi. But the Modi government wooed him profusely and even honoured him with the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award. This is the highest honour conferred on overseas Indians.
It is also learnt that veteran Akali Dal leader Parkash Singh Badal had asked PM Modi to intervene. Accordingly, Indian ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu met Dhaliwal in the USA and invited him to a book release function on Modi unveiled by Sri Sri Ravi Shanker. It is said that Dhaliwal is now playing a key role in the patch up bid between BJP and Akalis.
