Shiromani Akali Dal Left Out of Modi’s Cabinet for the First Time

In a significant political shift, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) finds itself without a cabinet minister in the newly formed Modi government for the first time. Historically, SAD has always secured cabinet positions in non-Congress central governments, maintaining a strong alliance with either the Janata Dal (United) or the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The tradition began in 1977 when SAD leaders Parkash Singh Badal and Surjit Singh Barnala served as ministers in the Morarji Desai government during the Emergency. In 1997, Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and Sukhbir Singh Badal held ministerial roles in Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s government. More recently, in 2014 and again in 2019, Harsimrat Kaur Badal served as a minister under Narendra Modi’s administration.

However, the current political landscape marks a departure from this historical trend. The absence of an alliance between SAD and BJP has led to SAD’s exclusion from the cabinet in Modi’s third term. This development comes shortly after the demise of the venerable Parkash Singh Badal, a significant figure in SAD’s political journey.

The exclusion of SAD from the central government is unprecedented in the party’s 50-year history. It highlights the evolving dynamics of political alliances and the challenges faced by SAD in maintaining its influence at the national level. Despite their longstanding relationships with key BJP figures like Atal Bihari Vajpayee, L.K. Advani, Narendra Modi, and Amit Shah, SAD’s absence from the cabinet underscores a pivotal moment in Punjab’s political narrative.

This situation reflects the broader implications for SAD’s future strategies and its role in the central political arena, as it navigates this new phase without the ministerial clout it once held.