If the trends are to be believed, then the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is going to do a clean sweep in Punjab. But what were the factors that led the 7-year-old party to the seat of power in Punjab. According to the website of the Election Commission at 11.10 am, the Aam Aadmi Party is leading in 89 out of 117 seats in the Punjab Assembly. Congress is leading in 15 seats so far. ,Check Punjab Results Live Here) What are the reasons for the horrific defeat of two traditional parties – Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) – in Punjab? Both these parties have ruled the state for the last seven decades.
1. Bhagwant Mann Factor
In the 2017 assembly elections, when the AAP won 20 of the 112 seats in Punjab (with a vote share of 23.7%), the party faced criticism for not announcing the chief ministerial face. It was said that the reason behind this move was Arvind Kejriwal’s own ambitions to become the Chief Minister of Punjab. Channi made a similar allegation. However, in 2022, AAP was better prepared as Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann was declared the chief ministerial candidate. Mann, a popular Sikh face of the party, is very popular in the Malwa region.
2. Congress’s self-created crisis
The Congress’s troubles in the state increased with the removal of Captain Amarinder Singh from the top post in September 2021. From a leadership crisis to a tussle between Navjot Singh Sidhu, Charanjit Singh Channi and Sunil Jakhar for the top post, the high command seemed to be unaware of it. Infighting in the Congress has confused voters on the ground. If trends are to be believed, even Channi’s arrival did not help the Congress consolidate the Dalit vote.
3. Effect of Peasants’ Protest
The year-long farmers’ protest was cited as one of the most decisive factors for the Punjab elections. In such a situation, where the sentiment of protest was against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Congress has been unable to capitalize on the sentiment at the grassroots level.
The Aam Aadmi Party, on the other hand, became familiar with the farmers in the form of senior party leaders such as Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and Raghav Chadha, who regularly visited the protesters on the ground.