The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) seeking power in Punjab where elections are due in about ten months – if not earlier – is certainly dominating the political discourse in the state. A substantial part of speeches in rallies organised by the opposition Congress and the ruling combine of Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party (SAD-BJP) is devoted to why AAP has little chance!
The first pre-poll survey for Punjab conducted by HuffPost-CVoter has only hightened the intensity of the attacks. The party has already made deep inroads and has been more active than its political rivals in preparing ground for the ensuing elections.
The only finding of the survey that has surprised political observers is the extent of margin predicted for AAP – that it can sweep 94 to 100 of the 117 assembly seats. The survey had placed Congress at the second spot while the ruling coalition was shown to be trailing at the third place.
Way Ahead of Rivals
- AAP has been quietly working on two major vote banks in Punjab – the rural population and the Dalits.
- A senior party leader disclosed that the first
list of AAP candidates could be out as early as next month.
- Kejriwal has received warm response during his previous visits,
be it the religious deras or the village of the Dalit leader Kanshi Ram.
- The party is however, aware of a major shortcoming – the lack
of a credible chief ministerial candidate.
Political Rivals Wary of AAP
The party of ‘topiwallas’, as it is derisively called both by the SAD President and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and the state Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh, has been quietly working on two major vote banks in the state – the rural population and the Dalits. Rural Punjab had been generally siding with the Akalis while the Dalits, with the highest percentage of population in any state at 32 percent, had been mostly backing the Congress in the absence of strong support for the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).
An indication of how the AAP is giving nightmares to the political rivals is the manner in which they are planning a show of strength at the forthcoming, prestigious Baisakhi Mela. The Mela is held every year on 13 April at Talwandi Sabo and all political parties traditionally set up ‘stages’ to propagate their stand on various issues.
For the first time ever the Congress has decided to hold its political rally a day in advance and the Akalis are making efforts to ensure a good gathering mainly to counter the AAP.
At the recent political rallies organised at the Maghi Mela, there were reports that the political ‘supporters’ ferried both by the Akalis and the Congress had availed of the free facility provided by their respected parties but had walked over to the AAP rally to listen to the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal! Not wanting to take any chances this time, the Congress has decided to organise its rally a day in advance as its venue is opposite the site selected by AAP for its rally. The SAD chief Sukhbir Badal too has asked his party leaders to take a pledge from those being brought in to ensure that they don’t cross over to the AAP rally.
Ground Work in Full Swing
Even as the Congress and the SAD had been busy organising rallies, AAP leaders and volunteers have been working at the micro level. The party has launched the “parivar jodo” campaign in the rural areas with groups of volunteers meeting families and urging them to display either a flag or a poster outside their house as a mark of support. The campaign has got a good response and party leaders claim they have already visited over seven lakh households. Besides, the party has set up ward level committees – something the rival political parties have only now begun planning.
AAP has also constituted several cells including those aimed at garnering the support from professionals, academicians and ex-servicemen. Meetings are held frequently with them for their inputs to be included in the party manifesto for which a separate cell has been created. The party hopes to be the first to release the manifesto as well as the list of candidates. In fact a senior party leader disclosed that the first list of party candidates could be out as early as next month.
Who Will be the CM Candidate?
Arvind Kejriwal has twice visited the state in recent weeks and has received a warm response. He has met family members of those killed in terrorist attacks and those who were forced to commit suicide due to farm indebtedness. He had also visited religious deras, which have massive following, as also the village of Dalit leader Kanshi Ram.
This time, for the
Baisakhi Mela, he is sending his deputy, Manish Sisodia and other leaders.
However, he has made it clear that he would devote a substantial part of
his time to the state during the coming months. While the party is upbeat, it is aware of a major shortcoming also pointed
out by the HuffPost-CVoter survey – the lack of a credible chief ministerial candidate. It is
one issue that the party needs to sort out as early as it can to put all
speculations at rest.
(The writer is a Chandigarh-based senior journalist.)
Also Read: Punjab Elections: Tensions Between BJP and SAD Rife in the State
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