Exit polls and early trends of Punjab polls overwhelmingly point to Aam Aadmi Party coming to power in Punjab in major coup for Arvind Kejriwal.
This was a bold move on AAP’s part taking on Congress and Akali Dal two strongest parties in the state. It was also crucial after Centre watered down AAP’s control in New Delhi.
So how has AAP managed to topple Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) who have ruled the state for the last seven decades.
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Calls For Change.
Punjab has traditionally seen Congress and SAD exchange the seat of power. People voted for change when Congress was elected.
However, the Captain Amarinder Singh-led government in the state was accused of being in cahoots with the Akalis due to its soft-pedalling on charges against the Badals, leading to the perception on the ground that the Congress and Akalis were two sides of the same coin.
This time people have gone with a party with a proven track record of good civil governance. The AAP 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)” resonated across the state and people have called for a change in status quo.
Governance For Youth and Women.
Kejriwal’s promise of rooting out corruption, endemic in the state, resonated with youngsters keen to “change the system”. This coupled with the hope of providing quality education and employment endeared the party to the youth.
Similarly, AAP’s promise of depositing a sum of Rs 1,000 per month into the accounts of women in the state did endear him to this section even though many admitted that such populist promises are usually made to be broken.
The tactic of wooing women as a separate vote bank seems to have done the trick of Delhi Chief Minister’s party.
Replicating The Delhi Model.
The four pillars of his Delhi model of governance – quality government education, health, power and water at cheap rates has been at the core pf election manifesto of AAP.
Punjab had been struggling with inordinately high rates for power, and health and education mostly privatised, the Delhi model seemed a far better model of governance.
Bhagwant Mann.
While Congress and other parties hesitated in naming a clear cut candidate for the Chief Minister’s post, Bhagwant Mann was chosen by AAP to be its CM face.
Mann, a popular comedian, son of the soil appealed to the people of Punjab straightway and helped AAP shed the outsider tag.
His story of how he lived in a rented house and how his net worth had been falling with every successive election made people gravitate towards him.
The Farm Agitation
The more than a year-long farm agitation that forced the central government to repeal the three contentious farm laws prepared the ground for a change of government by breaking the ‘dharra’ system (faction).
Joginder Singh Ugrahan, president of BKU (Ugrahan), the largest union of the state with a wide following in Malwa region with 69 assembly seats, said it gave rise to a questioning voter, who started asking leaders why they couldn’t see beyond lanes and drains even 70 years after independence.
AAP capitalized on these changes and seemed to have established themselves as a rising national level party.