Treading with caution the political turf after falling face down due to early haste, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has decided to concentrate on Punjab and Delhi only. It has made it clear that the party would only concentrate on Delhi Assembly polls, except bypolls on two seats in Punjab.
Buoyed over party’s lone success during 2014 general elections by emerging as second largest party in the state while being wiped clean from the political scene in rest of the country, AAP has announced its two candidates for August 21 byelections for Patiala and Talwandi Sabo on Sunday.
It has fielded a renowned Punjabi singer Balkar Sidhu and State’s former backward commission vice-chairman Harjeet Singh Adaltiwala as its candidates from Patiala and Talwandi Sabo Assembly constituencies, respectively. Their names were announced on Sunday by AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal on the concluding day of party’s three-day national executive meeting started on July 25 at Sangrur.
Kejriwal, in no unclear terms, said that his party will not contest any elections before Delhi assembly polls, besides Punjab bye-polls, and will put all its resources for Delhi assembly elections instead of contesting assembly elections in Maharashtra, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, and other states scheduled later this year.
The decision is significant as it indicated that AAP would be more of a fence-seater than a player during Haryana assembly polls. Notably, AAP had announced to venture into Haryana political scene after its successful run during Delhi Assembly polls. But, it opted out after party’s hopeless show during lok Sabha elections.
AAP’s decision would also mean that it is now taking time to consolidate its position rather than doing a rush-job like it did in 2014 parliamentary polls. Elections in Haryana are scheduled to be held sometime in September, while the party has about two-and-a-half years to go before the Punjab Assembly polls in 2017. The party will soon be testing the efficacy of its policies during bye-polls in Punjab for the two seats — Talwandi Sabo and Patiala — to be held on August 21.
The two seats fell vacant after sitting Congress MlAs Jeet Mohinder Singh Sidhu and Captain Amarinder Singh resigned. While Talwandi Sabo seat fell vacant after Sidhu deserted Congress to join the ruling SAD before lok Sabha polls in March, Patiala seat was vacated by Capt Amarinder following his elections to the lok Sabha from Amritsar defeating BJP heavyweight Arun Jaitley in May.
AAP’s broom succeeded in striking roots in Punjab during 2014 parliamentary polls by bagging four seats, equal to that of ruling SAD. The poll analysts attribute it to anti-incumbency against the Congress at the Centre and the ruling SAD-BJP combine in the state, coupled with the manifestation of voters’ anger against individual leaders of both the parties.
The party, getting 24.5 per cent share of votes in Punjab, had eaten into the vote share of both the SAD-BJP and the Congress. AAP zeroed in on its two candidates for bye-polls amidst dissidence within the party. Sources informed that a senior party worker has openly protested against Sidhu’s selection as party candidate alleging him of “insulting daughters and promote drugs in his songs” — an argument snubbed by Kejriwal.
Sidhu, became active in AAP after party won four seats in parliamentary elections, and joined the party in May this year. 40-year-old singer, hails from Poohla village of Bathinda district, would be second singer after Jassi Jasraj, who unsuccessfully contested parliamentary elections from Bathinda, to contest as AAP candidate.
Sidhu would now face former sitting MlA Jeet Mohinder Sidhu, fielded by SAD, and former Bathinda MlA Harminder Singh Jassi as Congress’ candidate. AAP’s Patiala candidate Adaltiwala is also facing opposition from within the party. Before his selection as party candidate, AAP’s leader in Patiala Kundan Gogia had announced to contest Patiala urban byelection as an Independent candidate.
Gogia was the district convener of AAP’s Patiala unit and was among 10 candidates shortlisted for Patiala constituency ticket. Being served as the vice-chairman of Punjab backward commission, Adaltiwala had joined AAP in April this year. He would now face former Union Minister and four-time Patiala MP Preneet Kaur in Patiala.