• Dr. Satnam Singh

During the period of militancy in the state (1980-92), the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) was politically marginalized by the Sikh radical groups operating in Punjab. However, the 1996 Lok Sabha election witnessed the revival of the dominance of the SAD in state politics. Earlier in 1977 the SAD was able to emerge as a formidable political force due to its impressive performance in the 1977 Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections in Punjab on account of the powerful anti-Congress and pro-Janata Party wave in their favour on the eve of this election and because of this party’s pre-election alliance with the Janata party and the CPI (M) within the party system of Punjab. However, the party lost this position in the 1980 Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections because of dissatisfaction with the performance of the then SAD led Parkash Singh Badal coalition government on the one hand and the feeling of insecurity created among the Hindus as a result of the Akali-Nirankari clash on April 13th, 1978 on the other. The SAD (Longowal) did succeed to get dominant status in 1985 election to Punjab Vidhan Sabha on account of the consolidation of the Sikh votes in the party’s favour as a reaction against “Operation Blue-Star” and the anti-Sikh riots in Delhi and other parts of India in 1984. The sympathy created by assassination of Sant Harchand Singh Longowal on 20th August, 1985 had also helped the party in this context. However, the SAD (L) lost its dominance status as a result of split in the party after the Police entered in the Golden Temple in April 1986 to flush out militants. The SAD (Mann) another splinter of the Akali Dal succeeded in 1989 Lok Sabha election because of the support lent to it by the militants on the one hand and its alliance with the BSP on the other. The subsequent elections to Lok Sabha and Punjab Vidhan Sabha in 1992 were boycotted by all the major Akali Dal factions and almost all the Sikh voters. In the 1996 Lok Sabha election the SAD re-emerged as a single largest party in Punjab by winning 8 out of 13 Lok Sabha seats in the state.

SAD, BSP, BJP, INC, CPI, CPI (M), Majha, Malwa, Doaba

"1996 Lok Sabha Elections: Reviving of Shiromani Akali Dal in Punjab ", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.2, Issue 1, page no.909-914, January-2015, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1701180.pdf

"1996 Lok Sabha Elections: Reviving of Shiromani Akali Dal in Punjab ", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.2, Issue 1, page no. pp909-914, January-2015, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1701180.pdf