Days after the Aam Aadmi Party’s hopes of emerging as a viable political option in Punjab was dashed to the ground after the State electorate gave mandate against its two candidates during by-elections, the party got down to serious business.
Seeing its charisma fading away and disarray of sorts among its rank and file in the State, the party has finally appointed its State head. Its candidate for the Gurdaspur lok Sabha constituency, Sucha Singh Chhotepur, has been appointed as the State unit convener.
The decision was made in the joint meeting of the party’s Political Affairs Committee and its Punjab State executive committee.
After sending alarm bells ringing in the camps of both SAD-BJP combine and the Congress in Punjab, the party even failed to put up a fight to the main contenders in th by-elections. Its candidates — Harjeet Singh Adaltiwala from Patiala (urban) segment, and Baljinder Kaur from Talwandi Sabo constituency — were not only defeated in the by-polls but also lost their security deposits.
Political observers attributed the AAP’s pitiable performance to its failure to create an impact in Punjab in post-lok Sabha results scenario. As the party was marred by factionalism, it could not project any leader as its face for Punjab.
The party made an impressive entry in the political scene of Punjab — the only State in the entire country from where four of its candidates emerged victorious during the recently-concluded parliamentary polls, as it drew a blank in other states, including Delhi.
The party has been trying frantically not just to project itself as the people’s choice in the State, but as an alternative to the Congress and the BJP along with its allies.
To further intensify its focus on Punjab and aiming at Mission 2017, it has selected Chottepur, who led many social movements in the State, to lead the party in the State.
Party’s candidate from Gurdaspur parliamentary constituency Chhotepur bagged over 1.70 lakh votes in 2014 polls against stalwarts like Punjab Congress chief Partap Singh Bajwa and now Gurdaspur MP and BJP’s Vinod Khanna. He took away a major chunk of votes in his kitty disturbing political equations of the two big leaders.
Besides Chottepur, the party has given the responsibility to its lok Sabha MP from Sangrur Bhagwant Mann for running its campaigns across the state and mobilizing the youth.
To counter the factionalism and dissent within the party, the party’s Friday meeting resolved to take strict disciplinary action against those indulging in anti-party activities.
AAP has already made clear its intentions of concentrating on Punjab and Delhi only, for the time being.
Even as the party had announced to venture into Haryana politics soon after its successful run during Delhi assembly polls, it decided to opt out after party’s hopeless show there during lok Sabha elections.
The party, in its first State executive committee meeting held last week, had decided to state mobilizing the people down from the booth level to strengthen party for the state assembly polls, which are still two-and-a half-year away.