Why Punjab voted AAP to power

Ik mauka AAP nu. One chance to AAP. This was the slogan with which Arvind Kejriwal unveiled his manifesto for Punjab Elections 2022. And guess what; Punjab gave that mauka to him. Nine years after dethroning Congress from Delhi, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) led by Arvind Kejriwal has successfully captured one more state from the Congress.

AAP, which won only 20 seats in the 2017 Punjab Assembly Elections, clinched a massive 92 seats in Punjab in 2022. The ruling Congress party led by Charanjit Singh Channi was decimated to 18 seats from 77 seats. BJP got 2 seats while Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) got 3, and BSP got 1 seat in the 117-seat assembly.

AAP had started the groundwork in Punjab right from 2019. When Arvind Kejriwal was in Sangrur campaigning for Bhagwant Mann, he had sensed anxiety among the people. A team was formed and it was asked to study the issues of the people.

Also, the BJP, SAD and Congress had sensed the rise of AAP in Punjab. From allegations of Kejriwal in sync with Khalistani separatist elements, to becoming PM of Independent Khalistan; Congress, BJP and SAD went after Arvind Kejriwal in Punjab to outbox him. But the Delhi CM knew the tricks of the trade. With Bhagwant Mann, the two-time MP from Punjab by his side, he took on the Congress, SAD, BJP and Captain Amarinder Singh’s Punjab Lok Congress.

Therefore, the change in 2022 was palpable. Arvind Kejriwal was the centre of attraction this time. A battered Congress with a faceless CM and a disgruntled Party Chief Navjot Singh Sidhu went with very little on their hands in the elections.

On the day of results, all groundwork of AAP paid off well. AAP candidates defeated incumbent CM Charanjit Singh Channi on two seats; and two former CMs, Captain Amarinder Singh and Parkash Singh Badal, on their respective strong seats.

In Urban Patiala, Amarinder Singh lost the contest to AAP’s Ajit Pal Singh Kohli.

Sitting CM Charanjit Singh Channi lost the two seats to AAP candidates. From Chamkaur Sahib, Channi lost to Charanjit Singh while from Bhadaur, he lost to Labh Singh Ugoke by a huge margin.

Former Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal lost the Lambi seat to AAP’s Gurmeet Singh Khudan.

Not only this, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee Chief Navjot Singh Sidhu lost to AAP’s Jeevan Jyot Kaur.

This was all to tell the tale of AAP in Punjab in 2022.

But how did AAP gain this massive traction from masses of Punjab despite it being a regional party? To beat two national players like the BJP and Congress in Punjab was indeed a mammoth task.

Here are a few reasons:

DELHI MODEL OF GOVERNANCE

The biggest advantage of AAP in Punjab was Arvind Kejriwal and his Delhi model of governance. Kejriwal, a fine orator only second to Narendra Modi, promised the people of Punjab a prosperous and well-governed state like New Delhi. While unveiling the manifesto, Kejriwal had promised a corruption-free Punjab. He had called out the corrupt politicians of Punjab for keeping Punjab burdened with debt.

ELECTRICTY

The issue of power disruption came up as one of the major issues faced by people in the ground report by AAP. AAP volunteers had found that though the production was adequate, the power supply was erratic and expensive too. To counter this, Kejriwal had promised 300 units of free electricity to the people in Punjab if elected to power. People had all the reasons to believe him as in Delhi, the AAP government gives 200 units of free electricity.

EDUCATION

The party volunteers also came across the report that though the youth of Punjab was educated, job opportunities were scarce. Arvind Kejriwal promised to improve the condition of government schools in Punjab, where over 24 lakh students study. In his promise, he had the merit of Delhi’s good schools and programmes run by Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia to improve them.

HEALTH

Just like free healthcare and mohalla clinics in Delhi, Kejriwal promised around 16,000 mohalla clinics in Punjab. In October 2021, Kejriwal under the health guarantee scheme had promised free health treatment, medicines, surgeries and a health card for all. He promised Pind Clinics in every village and ward, a complete change of government hospitals and free treatment of accident victims.

In short, Arvind Kejriwal promised to revamp Punjab just like Delhi. Plus, he will no longer be able to shift the blame of stubble burning and air pollution to Punjab now.

Bhagwant Mann has a huge test ahead of him too. Mann and Kejriwal will do a roadshow in Punjab on March 13, 2022. He will take oath as the CM of Punjab on March 16, 2022.