Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has created history by winning Punjab and wiping out Congress.
People of Punjab were yearning for a change and after placing their trust in Shiromani Akali Dal in 2007 and 2012 and then Congress in 2017 they decided to give Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP a chance.
Several stalwarts from SAD and Congress lost in AAP’s tsunami.
Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi was defeated from Bhadaur by AAP’s Labh Singh Ugoke and Charanjit Singh from Chamkaur Sahib.
SAD, Congress stalwarts eat humble pie
AAP’s Jeevan Jyot Kaur defeated Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu and SAD’s Bikram Singh Majithia from Amritsar East.
SAD patron Parkash Singh Badal and his son Sukhbir Singh Badal also lost to AAP candidates.
Punjab Lok Congress leader Amarinder Singh who contested from the Patiala seat, his family bastion, lost to AAP’s Ajit Pal Singh Kohli.
Congress replaced Amarinder but factionalism continued
Congress MP Jasbir Singh Gill in a tweet rightly said that infighting, indiscipline, tickets for notes, workers disenchantment, inflated ego and arrogance of leaders mauled Congress in Punjab.
Congress went into the polls after facing factionalism and anti-incumbency. After dumping Amarinder Singh it introduced Charanjit Singh Channi as the first Dalit Chief Minister of Punjab and made him its chief ministerial candidate just a few days before the polling on February 20.
The grand old party expected that replacing Captain with Channi would end factionalism in Punjab Congress but this was not the case and the newly-appointed CM and Sidhu too had their fair share of differences.
When asked about factionalism within the party, Sidhu in January said that only the Congress can defeat itself.
Sidhu was right.
Congress leadership equally responsible for this humiliating debacle
The Congress high command is also equally responsible for this humiliating debacle because the party leadership used Sidhu to contain Amarinder Singh who used to work with an independent mind.
This washing of dirty linen in public decreased the chances of the Congress and also created an impression in the mind of the public that the grand old party was not serious about addressing serious issues like drugs menace, illegal sand mining and rising unemployment.
Arvind Kejriwal’s promise of ‘drug-free’ Punjab hit with voters
Buoyed by this infighting, the AAP sharpened its attack on the SAD and Congress with Kejriwal indicating that the drug issue in Punjab will remain a major poll plank and vowed to solve the problem if his party is voted to power.
The Delhi CM also raised the sacrilege issue and promised stern punishment to all the culprits involved in the incidents.
AAP’s massive victory in Punjab is the beginning of a new era in Punjab politics and will also give a boost to the party’s national ambitions.
