The Aam Aadmi Party were handed a severe drubbing by the BJP in the Delhi polls. Not only did the party see a drop in seat share from 62 to 22, even its top guns, including Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia, failed to keep their seats. The Aam Aadmi Party is now left holding power only in Punjab after losing its stronghold in the capital.
As the result of the Delhi polls sinks in, the AAP will have to start preparing for its next best test in Punjab, which goes to polls in 2027.
AAP, which kicked off its political journey in Delhi and for the first time made government there in 2013, spread its wings in Punjab by winning 92 seats in the 2022 Vidhan Sabha elections and forming the government in the neighbouring state as well.
The Delhi result, which was a big shocker for AAP, will likely have an impact on the party’s standing in Punjab, too. With two years to go for the Punjab elections, the AAP will not only have to be more cautious, but also more aggressive in fulfilling its pre-poll promises, focusing on development, and at the same time countering the opposition on the law and order issue.
The Aam Aadmi Party came to power in Punjab in 2022 with a thumping majority after getting momentum from Delhi.
But now with Delhi lost, AAP will have to work harder to ensure that no damage is caused in Punjab.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections, the Aam Aadmi Party faced a major embarrassment as it just managed to win just 3 seats out of 13 in Punjab. With the result seen as a wake-up call for the party, the AAP made organisational changes recently in Punjab and made Cabinet minister Aman Arora as state party chief.
In the recently held municipal polls, although AAP won mayoral posts in most corporations, it faced stiff competition from Congress, which performed well in many areas.
Another major challenge for AAP in Punjab will be keeping its flock together after the Delhi drubbing. Senior Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa has claimed that 30 AAP MLAs are in touch with them.
However, there is a silver lining for AAP. With two years left for the Punjab polls, AAP has ample time to learn from its Delhi mistake, regroup and strategise.
IMPACT ON PUNJAB
But how does the Delhi loss impact the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government in Punjab?
The Punjab government has long-faced accusations of being controlled from Delhi. With no AAP government left in Delhi and party chief Arvind Kejriwal also defeated, it remains to be seen how things will unfold.
Now, all eyes are on Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, the party’s sole CM, as he takes full charge. It will be interesting to see how he navigates this challenge and works to dispel the opposition’s claims that he merely follows orders from Delhi.
Apart from this, the AAP also came under fire in Delhi over its unfulfilled poll promises. The party now faces mounting pressure in Punjab to deliver on a key commitment—providing Rs 1,000 per month to women. While the AAP government has implemented schemes like 600 units of free electricity and job provisions, the Rs1,000 monthly payout remains a widely discussed promise.
Talking to India Today, political expert Professor Kuldip Singh from Guru Nanak Dev University said, “One thing is sure, AAP in Punjab now has to be very cautious. Delhi was the base of the party and with the base gone and party supremo losing, it is a huge setback for the party.”
The AAP faced criticism in Delhi for not fulfilling pre-poll promises and the AAP in Punjab will have to ensure that it fulfills promises made to Punjab, he added.
In Punjab, AAP will have to learn lessons from the Delhi defeat, Singh added. He pointed out that AAP emerged out of an anti-corruption movement and yet several party leaders faced accusations of corruption.
OPPOSITION SHARPENS ATTACKS
As AAP lost the Delhi battle, it came under sharp political attack from the opposition in Punjab.
Congress MLA Pargat Singh said, “The AAP does a politics of lie and it does not work for long. The same model is operated by AAP in Punjab and it will see the same here too.“
Former Deputy Chief Minister and senior Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Badal said, “I am thankful to the people of Delhi for uprooting AAP and I would say that people of Punjab must also follow the same.”
As BJP leaders in Punjab celebrated the win today, senior state unit leader Subhash Sharma said, “We are happy for the BJP’s big win in Delhi but also happy that soon we will get rid of AAP in Punjab too.”
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