A week after he was installed as Akali Dal president, Sukhbir Singh Badal has embarked on a fresh strategy to secure a mass approval for his new position and enhance his profile to finally don the mantle of his father Parkash Singh Badal. His first step: announcement of a massive rally at the national capital on February 26.

Badal junior announced his plan for organising the mass show after calling on BJP President Rajnath Singh at his residence on Wednesday evening. Sukhbir was accompanied by senior Akali Dal leader Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and Naresh Gujral, Rajya Sabha member of the Akali Dal and son of former prime minister Inder Kumar Gujral. BJP leader Balbir Punj, in charge of Punjab affairs, was also present.

Sukhbir’s ascendance as the party chief was a smooth affair with potential opponents of the move like Ranjit Singh Brahmpura and Kanwaljit Singh spearheading the exercise. Badal senior undertook a neat operation after winning them over.

However, Sukhbir obviously sees the need for public demonstration of a mass backing for this transition. Therefore, a grand show in Delhi would be in order. He has taken care to rope in the BJP too, whose support is crucial to the continuation of the alliance government in Punjab. Since the ultimate agenda of the father-son duo is the succession of Badal senior by Sukhbir as chief minister, it is imperative that the latter finetune his relations with the BJP. Badal senior has shared close personal ties with senior BJP leaders, and Sukhbir has to just go by the same script.

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