Virtually dismissing the presence of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab, the State Congress president Partap Singh Bajwa on Friday claimed that the party would not get more than 10 per cent share of votes during this parliamentary election.
At the same time, Bajwa claimed to sweep all 13 lok Sabha seats of the State, while maintaining that the anti-incumbency was against the ruling combine Government
in Punjab. He added that the AAP would have no effect on the Congress, but on the SAD-BJP combine.
“AAP is only the creation the media...a hype created by the social media. They are being overrated. The party is not going to get more than 10 per cent of seats here in Punjab,” said Bajwa. Maintaining that he was making the statement only after thoroughly assessing the situation, Bajwa said: “People are expecting that AAP is going to repeat what it did in Delhi, but it’s not going to be that. The party is not going to win any seat, rather it would bag 10 per cent votes, and not more than that.”
“The Congress’ core votes have remained intact and the anti-incumbency factor would work against the Akali-BJP in the state,” said Bajwa, elaborating that AAP broke into Congress’ vote bank in Delhi as there, anti-incumbency was against the Congress, and that was the reason it managed to win so many seats.
Sitting MP and party’s candidate from Gurdaspur said that the votes, which were otherwise meant for BJP-led NDA’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, have diverted towards us.
Former Chief Minister and party’s campaign committee in-charge Rajinder Kaur Bhattal too shared the same view. “It could be possible that AAP would harm us...but it would harm the Akalis more.”
Bajwa said that it was believed that what happened during 2012 polls, the same would happen now, but that was not the case. “At the end of the day, people wanted to vote against the government,” he said.
He added, “During these polls, there is no Modi wave that SAD and BJP are claiming. The local issues matter to the people here in Punjab. Secondly, Modi was known for his anti-minority stand, and here, Sikhs, Christians, Muslims...they have high population which comes under minority. Thirdly because of Modi’s anti-Punjab stand especially on the issue of Sikh farmers in Gujarat who are facing eviction.”
Adding, Bhattal quipped, “Akali-BJP has created a sort of Modi wave in Punjab which only they see. People have washed it away, and there is complete flood of anti-incumbency that would sweep them away.”
She also raised question over the use of money during the elections. “They adopted indirect ways to lure voters. There was indirect flow on money. Petrol was being given in kind. People were filling their fuel tanks and leaving without paying for the same. If they said that they were party candidates, where it was shown in the election expenses,” she questioned.