It was not Harsimrat Kaur but her husband Sukhbir Singh Badal, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief, who made the announcement of her resignation from the Narendra Modi cabinet in Parliament.It came as an assertion as to who was the boss in an attempt to convey a message to the protesting farmers in Punjab.
Curious aspect of the announcement was that it was not about quitting the alliance -- which may happen in coming days.Sukhbir Badal concluded his speech in the Lok Sabha saying, "I want to make an announcement that our minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal will resign from cabinet." She did so a little later.The question is, did she actually resign over the three farm bills? The three bills -- now controversial -- are in Parliament not because of their novelty but to complete a legislative formality.
This formality may not be completed if the BJP fails to garner enough support in the Rajya Sabha.These bills have been brought in Parliament to replace three Ordinances that were notified in first week of June.
For three months, what is proposed in the three bills is the law of the land.Moreover, the Ordinances did not come up suddenly in June.
They were in the pipeline for long during which the Shiromani Akali Dal did not make a noticeable protest or threaten to quit.So, why now? The immediate reason is the intensifying protests by farmers in Punjab.
Though not all farmers' bodies are protesting against these bills and some groups - particularly those from Maharashtra - are vocal in their support for these bills.While Sukhbir Badal said these bills will "destroy" all the good work done by successive governments in Punjab, the supporters have termed the same legislations as "the first step towards financial freedom for farmers".The protest is largely limited to Punjab and Haryana.
In Punjab, the ruling Congress party has opposed the bills and there is growing understanding that the Shiromani Akali Dal is losing its political ground among the farming community.Punjab is going to the polls in less than two years.
The BJP has, it is learnt, shed its reluctance to take centre stage in Punjab's politics.
The party has been a junior partner of the Shiromani Akali Dal in Punjab.PUNJAB POLLS IN 18 MONTHSUnder the current formula, the BJP contests 23 seats in Punjab while the Shiromani Akali Dal fields its candidates in 94 of 117 assembly constituencies.
Now, the BJP is pushing for equal share staking claim to 59 seats in the alliance leaving 58 to the Shiromani Akali Dal, which is the oldest partner of the BJP in NDA.This has come in the year when the Shiromani Akali Dal completes 100 years of its foundation (in December).
The relationship between the Shiromani Akali Dal and the BJP has been rough in recent months.The Shiromani Akali Dal was pushing to make its presence felt in Delhi, where it wanted to contest the assembly polls on its own symbol in February this year.
The BJP did not agree and the Shiromani Akali Dal was not happy to be kept out of the Delhi Assembly polls.The two parties had differences during the Haryana Assembly election last year.
In fact, in a couple of constituencies, the Shiromani Akali Dal leaders campaigned against the BJP candidates.
Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Badal was also critical of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which the BJP defended with all its might.Having trouble with the BJP in realizing its aspirations within the NDA for quite some time and finding itself almost alienated in -- fast heading to polls -- Punjab, the Shiromani Akali Dal had to begin recovering political ground that it has lost in the state.
A resignation from the central ministry gives a moral high ground for the party supporters to go back to people and build its case afresh for 2022 Punjab Assembly election.