The Election Commission of India on Wednesday gave three major political players in Punjab — the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) – Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) combine, the Congress, and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) — exactly a month to draw their swords and mend chinks in their armour.
Sounding the election bugle by setting February 4 as the “P”-day, the Election Commission triggered off hectic activity amidst the political parties as the model code of conduct came into force with immediate effect till the completion of election process, that is March 15.
This is perhaps the first time in the recent past that Punjab will make a clear cut departure from the two-party system and witness a triangular contest with the emergence of AAP. Post 2014 lok Sabha polls, a new star rose on Punjab’s political horizon by bagging four seats out of total 13 in the State defeating Modi wave that swept the entire nation.
The AAP, with the promise of change in traditional politics, ending corruption, saving youth from deadly drug menace coupled with a striking win in Delhi Assembly polls, attracted Punjabi voters.
AAP national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal too announced to devote most of his time in the State, campaigning for AAP, releasing party’s one manifesto after another appealing not only the people, but well appreciated among the political circles too.
All this was transitory as the party leaders scored self-goals bringing much disrepute to the party. Superimposing party symbol ‘broom’ symbol on the Golden Temple for which Kejriwal had to apologize, equating manifesto with holy scriptures, its popular leader and MP Bhagwant Mann’s live streaming act, and attending Parliament in high spirits, Delhi MlA’s arrest in Malerkotla sacrilege case, corruption charges, among others.
Fighting the “outsider” tag, the party is yet to zero-in on its Chief Ministerial candidate. Despite all these ups and downs, AAP is seen as a main challenger giving tough contest to the traditional players by fielding its prominent leaders against the Badal-Majithia trio, holding one-to-one localised campaigning.
Combating 10-year anti-incumbency, SAD-BJP coalition was having tough time in keeping its flock together as the party witnessed an exodus of sorts towards Congress with six sitting MlAs shifting their loyalties. People too have been disenchanted with Akali-BJP regime in the wake of downgrading governance, deteriorating law and order, escalating unemployment, ever-increasing drug menace, politicisation of police, farm distress, series of sacrilege incidents, coupled with ‘one family show’ within the party.
To keep its sinking ship afloat, the SAD doled out pre-poll sops in terms of series of welfare programmes and schemes, mass regularization of contractual and ad-hoc employees, following the panthic agenda, developing historical sites, among other things.
Amidst all this, the grand-old Congress party has been left in the lurch in spite of the state party chief Capt Amarinder Singh’s royal charisma and political strategist Prashant Kishore’s brainwork.
Starting on a good note, the party has, over the time, lost the steam. learning lessons from the past, the party started early to decide on its candidates, but even as the elections have been announced, many prominent leaders are camping in the national capital instead of campaigning in the state.
The party is yet to announce 40 candidates, eventually giving them a less time to campaign — one of the main reasons for Congress’ debacle in 2012 polls. Turncoats and “one party, one seat” rule, is coming in the way of candidates’ declaration.
Even through the Congress is expected to win some, but seems not enough to topple the BJP-Akali combine.
Making things worse are the presence of splinter groups, mainly comprising of AAP rebels. AAP MP Dr Dharamvira Gandhi led Punjab Front, AAP’s former state convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur’s Apna Punjab Party, Congress’ former MP Jagmeet Brar led Trinamool Congress in state, besides the Bahujan Samaj Party and the left parties.
A win in Punjab will surely pave way for Kejriwal to try his luck at the national level in 2019, apart from expanding AAP’s reach impacting the Congress and BJP. Defeat for the Congress may send the party to the political oblivion, which has its government in a few states now.
All 117 assembly constituencies have been spread over three regions of Malwa, Majha and Doaba with Malwa accounting for more than 50 percent of the seats. 2012 polls saw the SAD-BJP combine winning 65 seats while the Congress managed to win only 46. Three seats had been won by the independents.