CHANDIGARH, SEPT 12: In a major shift, the All India Shiromani Akali Dal led by Gurcharan Singh Tohra has distanced itself from the 1973 version of the Anandpur Sahib resolution and announced the commitment to its moderate version of 1978. The ruling Akali Dal headed by Parkash Singh Badal also adheres to the 1978 resolution.Tohra is otherwise identified with radical Panthic politics despite the efforts to project himself as a moderate.The announcement making a commitment to the 1978 version has been made by AISAD general secretary Prem Singh Chandumajra who is contesting the Sunam Vidhan Sabha by-election. He said only the Anandpur Sahib resolution of 1978 could provide a solution to the problems being faced by the country in general and Punjab in particular. He said the party was committed to the political and economic policy programme of this resolution.The ruling Akali Dal had earlier taken the stand that the 1973 version was a draft adopted only by the working committee. It was later modified and passed by the general house at its Ludhiana conference in 1978 to become the official resolution of the party.What has prompted the AISAD to make its position clear is the likely support that the party hopes to get from parties like the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the Lok Bhalai Party headed by Balwant Singh Ramoowalia and the Bahujan Samaj Party. Chandumajra has been fielded as a candidate of the Sanjha Morcha. Tohra had announced that four former prime ministers including Inder Kumar Gujaral and Chandra Shekhar would campaign for Chandumajra in Sunam.The Sanjha Front had claimed that Balwant Singh, state secretary of the CPI(M) had promised support in case Chandumajra was put up as a candidate. The CPI(M) is likely to formalise its decision tomorrow.Tohra's stakes are very high in this bypoll and he made this clear at a party meeting at Sunam yesterday. Significantly, most of the rebel ruling Akali Dal MLAs otherwise associated with Tohra were present on the AISAD stage for the first time. Ravi Inder Singh was projected as the next chief minister by the party. Earlier, these MLAs had been avoiding direct involvement with the public meetings of the AISAD. What has now enabled them to openly work for Tohra is their expulsion from the ruling Akali Dal. They face disqualification from the Vidhan Sabha on a petition filed by some ministers.The largely attended public meeting of the party yesterday has provided much needed boost to Chandumajra who has his own support base in the constituency. The votes polled in favour of Chandumajra would be the loss of the ruling Akali Dal which has fielded Parminder Singh Dhindsa, son of Union Sports Minister Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa whose native village falls in the constituency.
