Can Kejriwal become Punjab's first non-Sikh chief minister?

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal began his four-day tour of Punjab on September 8. On reaching the poll-bound state, he declared, "I have arrived. I will put up my tent and stay here and I will stay until I have uprooted the Badals and put them in jail."

This is diametrically opposite to what he said on February 14, 2015 while taking oath as the chief minister of Delhi for the second time. Back then, he had said, "AAP became arrogant and fought Lok Sabha elections from other states and was taught a lesson. I'm staying in Delhi for five years to work for the city."

So, the man who promised to stay in Delhi for five years in 2015 is taking a vow in 2016 to stay in Punjab. Why this major change? Is the AAP chief sending a message to the people of Punjab that his party will contest elections under his leadership? Is Kejriwal implying that he is the chief ministerial candidate?

Although speculations of Kejriwal being projected as AAP's CM face in Punjab have been doing the rounds for some time, no declaration or statement to that effect has yet been made. But there are several indicators which give credence to this speculation.

First, there were reports suggesting AAP is looking for a permanent accommodation for Arvind Kejriwal. The AAP convener was keen on getting a house either in Ludhiana or Phagwara rather than Chandigarh, as both these places are more centrally located. Latest reports say that Kejriwal is set to settle down in Goraya, 33km from Jalandhar.

As per his own statements also, he will stay in Punjab not only till he defeats the Badals, but till he has ensured that they are put in jail. Arvind Kejriwal’s stated relocation comes at a time when Delhi, which elected him with a record mandate, sees him sparingly. On September 4, Arvind Kejriwal uploaded a video saying he would take charge of the party's Punjab unit from September, after undergoing surgery.

In the video, the Delhi chief minister also said, "By the end of the month, the party affairs would be directly under my control." Kejriwal will undergo throat surgery in Bangalore on September 13 to cure his chronic cough and is expected to return on September 22. If he takes direct control of AAP in Punjab, then who could be the chief ministerial candidate?

The Punjab CM's post is any day more important than chief ministership of Delhi. At best, the Delhi CM is just a glorified mayor, and those who know Kejriwal say he won't accept anyone bigger than him in his party.

When Navjot Singh Sidhu resigned as the BJP's Rajya Sabha MP, there was euphoria in the AAP camp. The AAP leaders thought that as the chief ministerial candidate, he would ensure a landslide win for the party. The former cricketer too was hoping for the expected offer, but according to reports, Arvind Kejriwal was only willing to make him a "star campaigner" and not the chief ministerial face. Hence the talks broke down.

Arvind Kejriwal, currently, is the only chief minister in India without much responsibility. He does not have a single portfolio to look after. For all practical purposes, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia is running the state's affairs.

It is being said that Kejriwal would like to install his deputy CM in his place and set off to govern Punjab. Kejriwal has been missing from all the recent Delhi government advertisements also. It is the deputy CM's mug that is gracing Delhi government ads all over the city. This arrangement is adding further giving credence to the fact that Kejriwal is getting ready to take over Punjab.

One of the biggest handicaps of the AAP in Punjab is the missing Sikh face. The party wanted Sidhu to plug the hole, but that fizzled out.

Now Sidhu, well aware of this drawback, is trying to milk the situation. The former cricketer, while launching his new political outfit, Awaaz-e-Punjab, said, "Our slogan is Punjab will win, Punjabiyat will win and Punjabis will win." This barb is directly targeted at Kejriwal. The Delhi CM will face this at every turn of his Punjab campaign and he will have to find some way to overcome it.

Furthermore, Punjab has not seen a non-Sikh chief minister in the last 50 years, and Kejriwal, hailing from Haryana, is neither a Sikh nor well-versed in the Punjabi language. This too is being seen as a big drawback.

The AAP is quite optimistic about the outcome of the Punjab Assembly elections. It had done well in Punjab in the 2014 general elections by winning four of the 13 seats with a 24.4 per cent overall vote share. And that happened when Kejriwal was the face of the party. But can this optimism be converted to reality this time around?

If it does, then Arvind Kejriwal would have set another record in India's electoral politics - of becoming the first non-Sikh CM that Punjab has seen in the last five decades.

Also read: Kejriwal has only himself to blame for AAP's mess in Punjab