"Akalis are great fighters when it comes to contesting elections." This remark came from none other than a kin of former chief minister Amarinder Singh at an impromptu interaction some time ago.

And now that disgruntled Akali leader Jasjit Singh Bunny has made his choice clear, the SAD is unlikely to show any respect for an opponent, even if he's the son of late Capt Kanwaljit Singh. The party's formula of taking on challengers will be tested again, this time against Jasjit Bunny. "We will crush the nefarious designs of the Congress by trouncing its candidate in Patiala Lok Sabha constituency, Amarinder's home turf, by more than one lakh votes," Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal said.

There's more to read in what the junior Badal said today. Akalis feel the vow to defeat the Congress nominee and Amarinder's wife Preneet Kaur is also likely to have an inevitable casualty-- Bunny. Somewhere in the line of fire of Sukhbir's resolve to win Patiala, and that too with claims of a phenomenal margin, will be Bunny. Sukhbir now has two 'Bathindas' to win, as Patiala will be as keenly watched as the Malwa capital.

The party's prestige is involved on both the seats. Just a day after the bhog ceremony of Kanwaljit Singh, Akali leaders said Bunny was not a mass leader like his father, and he was unlikely to impact the prospects of SAD candidate from Patiala.

A senior SAD leader said, "He will bag few votes if he contests. The sympathy factor he is banking on may not translate into votes. The constituents will seek several clarifications from him on his decision." He said, "How will Bunny justify his stand. His father served an Akali ideology, just opposite to what Bunny has preferred." Another leader said, "By making his aspiration obvious at a time when his family was in the state of mourning, Bunny added political colour to the solemn occasion."

... contd.