Out of which only Shiromani Akali Dal is a regional party, while all other political parties are national political parties, which always make their policies and plans keeping national politics in mind and their main goal is to gain power in the country.
Only Akali Dal, being a regional party, has been keeping Punjab in mind in every aspect, but the current condition of Akali Dal is in front of everyone. For this reason, it is being said that the decline in Akali Dal is not in the interest of Punjab because being the main regional party of Punjab, the people of Punjab have high hopes and expectations from Akali Dal.
Punjab is currently facing many big problems, many of which are also related to the neighboring states of Punjab. The dispute over the river waters of Punjab, the use of canal water, Punjab’s right to the capital Chandigarh of Punjab and some other such issues are there, which Punjab has been going on with its neighboring states for a long time. In these main issues of Punjab, only the regional party of Punjab can strongly represent Punjab, because it is limited to Punjab only and is the main voice of the people of Punjab. While the national parties have a base in Punjab as well as in the neighboring states of Punjab and those political parties have to get votes from the voters of the neighboring states of Punjab as well, for this reason these national political parties either do not raise the issues of Punjab and despite having their own government in Punjab, they keep these issues in the cold pocket.
Although many regional political parties came into existence in Punjab at different times, the oldest regional political party of Punjab is the Shiromani Akali Dal. The Shiromani Akali Dal has been representing the interests of the people of Punjab for a long time and the people of Punjab have entrusted the power of Punjab to the Akali Dal many times, but it is a matter of regret that even while in power, the Akali Dal could not solve the main issues of Punjab or the Akali leaders put personal interests ahead of the interests of Punjab, due to which the people of Punjab gradually moved away from the Akali Dal and the Akali Dal reached the margins. Punjab is also suffering from the loss of the Shiromani Akali Dal moving to the margins because now there is no such regional political party in Punjab that can become the voice of Punjabis and solve the main issues of Punjab on a priority basis. Although the Aam Aadmi Party had presented itself as the third political alternative of Punjab during the last Punjab Assembly elections and had promised the Punjabis that once it comes to power, the Aam Aadmi Party of Punjab would solve all the issues of Punjab and Punjabis. Due to which, Punjabis trusted the words of the leaders of Aam Aadmi Party and handed over the power of Punjab to Aam Aadmi Party during the last Punjab Assembly elections. But now it has been almost three years since Aam Aadmi Party ruled Punjab, but Aam Aadmi Party has not yet been able to solve the main issues of Punjab and Punjabis.
In fact, this party has also followed the path of other national political parties, due to which this party is making efforts to establish its base in other states. For this reason, this party is becoming hesitant to raise the pending issues with the neighboring states of Punjab because this party is also feeling that if it resolves these issues in favor of Punjab, the voters of the neighboring states of Punjab will be angry with it. It is because of such thinking of the national political parties that the pending issues with the neighboring states of Punjab have been pending for the last many years and are getting more complicated day by day.
It is clear from the above discussion that even at this time Punjab is in great need of a strong regional party, which should become the voice of all Punjabis and make efforts to solve the main issues of Punjab. At present, Shiromani Akali Dal is the main regional political party in Punjab, which is why it is necessary for the welfare of Punjab and the protection of the rights of Punjab to strengthen the Shiromani Akali Dal.
