Chandigarh: It is perhaps a crowd of about a 1000 people in Dhuri near Sangrur where Sukhbir Badal was addressing a gathering in support of party candidate Gobind Singh Longowal. Not a mega rally, but the new trend of holding small but numerous meetings across the state.
It is almost 5 PM and Sukhbir has not had his lunch. Immediately after the public meeting at the Anaj Mandi in Dhuri, Sukhbir goes over to a party loyalist's house where he is served lunch at a table with supporters crowding from all sides.
This meeting at Dhuri must be his sixth or seventh of the day and would be followed by three or four more.
Under his watch the Akali Dal managed to break the routine of an alternating political party running the state government. It was always the Congress or the SAD for decades prior to the 2012 victory when the Akalis in alliance with the BJP came in for a second round.
And then they managed to do this despite having a lesser vote share than the Congress which garnered 40 per cent of the votes polled.
Sukhbir managed to do all this with support from a loyal Akali cadre, his ability to take quick business-like decisions and his astute skill at giving his supporters just about enough to keep them hooked. Not too little, but never too much.
No wonder then that the AAP managed to push through four Members of Parliament, the only ones they could muster, from Punjab. Punjabis are quick to support novelty, but also quick to reject it if it does not fulfil their expectations.
Despite big ticket projects like beautification of the Golden Temple complex, highways, roadways, flyovers, bridges and infrastructure, seva kendras and a more responsive administration, Sukhbir is also perceived to be the man who presided over a gradual deterioration in the state’s finances.
Allegations of drug abuse and criminalisation and also of growing wealthy at the expense of the state continue to haunt him.
It is this dichotomy that will pose Sukhbir the biggest challenge - negotiating anti-incumbency, denying allegations and charges and also continuing to project a progressive future for the state.
Sukhbir tells CNN-News18 that it is human nature to always demand more and so is the case with many who say he hasn't done enough.
He also denies growing rich at the cost of the state and throws a counter question: "Who does not want to be rich"?
Reacting to Navjot Singh Sidhu’s entry into the Congress party he claims, "The Congress has assured Navjot Sidhu of being the Chief Minister of Punjab as Rahul Gandhi does not like Capt Amarinder Singh."
On Monday Navjot Sidhu officially joined the Congress and will contest on its ticket from Amritsar East laying to rest the probability that he might be asked to contest from Jalalabad against Sukhbir Badal. Congress will now be represented by Ravneet Bittu and the Aam Aadmi Party has fielded star campaigner Bhagwant Mann who hates to be called a comedian despite the fact that it is his comic skills that propelled him to stardom and the handed him his political career.
Speaking exclusively to CNN News18 Sukhbir continues his tirade against Sidhu saying he is a showman hired to perform till February 4 and goes on to add he suffers from a disease that prevents him from staying in any one party for too long.
On Congress candidate Ravneet Bittu standing against him in Jalalabad, Badal says he would be happy to help him find his way around the villages since he is new to the area.
Claiming that Amarinder was not serious about fighting Parkash Singh Badal on his home turf of Lambi near Bathinda, Sukhbir challenged Captain to quit his Patiala ticket and contest solely from Lambi.
"Manpreet Badal as CM, Navjot Sidhu as CM, Amarinder as CM, Pratap Bajwa as CM, I wonder how many CM candidates the Congress has projected," quips Badal.
Sukhbir will perhaps have to rely more on his poll strategies, splitting votes, tackling anti-incumbency, last minute campaigning, and even bigger promises in addition to what he admits is vital - blessings from the almighty - to make a comeback in the state.
For otherwise, the winds of change or "badlav" as many like to call it are growing stronger.
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