Opinion Simranjit Singh Mann’s win in Punjab bypoll carries a message that the state’s mainstream cannot afford to ignore

The surprise win in Punjab of Simranjit Singh Mann in the recent by-poll from the Sangrur parliamentary seat, the pocket borough of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, has touched off questions — and anxieties. Even though the margin of his victory is slender, it’s a jolt to the reigning Aam Aadmi Party government that had swept to power with an overwhelming mandate a little more than 100 days ago. More than that, Mann, an IPS officer who resigned from service in protest against Operation Bluestar in 1984, has for long been looked upon as an anachronism as the state tried to move past the dark decade of militancy. He clung on to his demand for sovereignty, reiterating his reverence for the controversial figure of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. This is why his triumph, after over 23 years of his party Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) drawing a blank at the hustings, calls for introspection by Punjab’s political mainstream.

Simranjit Singh Mann’s victory comes at a time when the Shiromani Akali Dal, the oldest party of the state, seems to be at its weakest. It is facing an existential crisis after incidents of Guru Granth Sahib’s desecration in 2015 and its handling of the aftermath dealt a body blow to its credibility. Mann could be said to have began his comeback by calling a gathering of community leaders on the issue of sacrilege. Of late, he has been championing the cause of minorities against what he calls the ultra-right — in a probable bid to move into the space once occupied by the Akali Dal. The AAP government may have won a grand victory but its sweep should not paper over the fact that many unresolved issues require deft handling in the state. There are elements that are numerically insignificant, but with a potential to cause mischief disproportionate to their numbers and which draw support from sections of the diaspora in search of a mythical homeland. This minuscule section can also be exploited by inimical forces across the border.

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The Bhagwant Singh Mann government has its task cut out. As it tries to inject new life into the economy and address issues like the state of education, it will do well to keep an ear to the ground. Be it inter-state sharing of river waters or the joint capital, there are issues that can snowball if not dealt with sensitively, and electorally marginalised elements that nurse a feeling of dispossession. The new government owes it to its mandate to keep its focus on an agenda of development and inclusion, which alone can help the state to step up to the challenges of the future.