Early trends suggest a massive win for the Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab. From 20 out of 117 seats in 2017 to close to 90 in 2022, it is seeing a meteoric rise, leaving the traditional parties – Congress and SAD – far behind. What has changed?
It looks like a clean sweep for the Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab if early trends are to be believed. It’s leading in close to 90 of the total 117 seats in the state. The ruling Congress is a far second, trailing with 18 seats, followed by the Shrimoni Akali Dal with six seats, according to predictions. What’s the reason behind AAP’s meteoric rise and why has it left the two parties which have been ruling the state for the past 70 years far behind?
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Congress’s internal fight club
In the run-up to the election year, there was constant bickering within the incumbent Congress. The tug-of-war between former chief minister Amarinder Singh and Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu caused irreparable damage to the party’s image.
After Singh stepped down, the party brought in Charanjit Singh Channi as the new chief minister, a Dalit Sikh, whom they believed had a mass base. At the time, replacing Singh seemed like a clever move – he was neither popular with the MLAs nor the state’s public.
However, Channi’s appointment came amid a lot of opposition from Sidhu, who wanted the top job for himself. It took a while to bring Sidhu on the same page as the rest of the Congress leaders. It was only in February that Rahul Gandhi announced Channi, as the party’s CM face.
The “Channi” factor did not work and infighting instilled little faith in the public.
Losing faith in the big players
The politics in the state has always reloved around Congress and the SAD. The feeling of discontent grew on the ground, as people believed they did not bring in any change to the state. The Congress and the Akalis have been accused of being hand-in-glove and it didn’t help that the Amarinder Singh government did little on corruption charges against the Badals and the drug lords in the state.
The Delhi model
AAP’s Delhi model of governance which focuses on health and education, better civic infrastructure, services for the poor, and power and water at cheap rates was attractive to the people of Punjab. An agrarian state, which has been struggling with unemployment, a stagnant industrial sector, and a growing divide between rural and urban areas, hopes that the Arvind Kejriwal-led party will usher in a much-needed change.
Bhagwat Mann, the insider
इस इंक़लाब के लिए पंजाब के लोगों को बहुत-बहुत बधाई। pic.twitter.com/BIJqv8OnGa
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) March 10, 2022
AAP learned from its previous mistakes in Punjab when it was hesitant to put faith in local leaders. In 2016, it removed its state president Sucha Singh Chhotepu over corruption allegations. The party’s attempt to remote-control the state from New Delhi failed in 2017, where it was restricted to 20 MLAs in the 117-state assembly. AAP has come a long way since.
AAP’s chief ministerial candidate Bhagwant Mann was the key. With Mann, a comedian who won many a heart with his political satire, the party managed to shun the outsider tag. His son-of-the-soil appeal only increased as he campaigned through the state promising an addiction-free Punjab.
The party slogan “Is baar na khaawaange dhokha, Bhagwant Maan te Kejriwal nu dewaange mauka (We won’t get fooled this time, will give a chance to Bhagwant Mann and Kejriwal)” struck a chord with the people of Punjab.
Wining over the women
When Kejriwal campaigned in the state, he made it a point to reach out to women. He looked at them as a separate vote, something that most traditional parties have overlooked in the patriarchal state. The AAP chief promised that Rs 1000 would be transferred to the bank accounts of women above the age of 18 in the state if the party came to power.
We're 'aam aadmi' but when 'Aam Aadmi' rises mightiest of thrones shake. Today's an imp day in India's history,not only because AAP is winning one more state but because it has become a national force. AAP will become Congress' replacement: AAP’s Punjab co-in charge Raghav Chadha pic.twitter.com/X4NJ0zxeC3
— ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2022
Full points to AAP. Winning Punjab will only encourage Kejriwal further to expand his ambitions. ”We are ‘aam aadmi’ but when the ‘aam aadmi” rises mightiest of thrones shake. Today is an important day in India’s history not only because AAP is winning one more state but because it has become a national force,” Raghav Chadha, who spearheaded the Punjab campaign for the party, told ANI.
