Analysis | AAP’s Punjab win shows acceptance of ‘alternative politics’, trust-deficit towards ‘traditional’ parties

Stalwarts of Congress and SAD faced drubbing at the hands of relatively newcomers of AAP

The Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) big victory in the Punjab Assembly polls hints that the State people have voted for ‘alternative politics’. It also shows a trust-deficit on the traditional parties – the Congress, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the BJP. The AAP was leading in over 90 seats of the the 117 constituencies.

The ‘disillusionment’ of the voters from the traditional parties could be gauged from the fact that stalwarts of the Congress and the SAD faced drubbing at the hands of relatively newcomers of the AAP. Among those who were trailing in their constituencies included Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi (bother seats), former Chief Minister and SAD patron Parkash Singh Badal, SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal, former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu.

Also read | Live updates on election results of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur

In its campaign, the AAP sought voters to give it ‘a chance’ against the ‘traditional’ parties - to let it replicate the ‘Delhi model of governance’, where it’s in power. The clear mandate reflects that the issues of improved education and better health services had made a cut among voters, who felt that over the years these sectors were neglected by the successive governments of the Congress and the SAD-BJP.

The announcement of Punjab-based Bhagwant Mann as its chief ministerial candidate also worked in favour of the AAP, as it helped the party to counter the narrative of an ‘outsider’ party. The win for the AAP is all set to boost party supremo Arvind Kejriwal’s prospect to launch himself in 2024 as a national leader.

With its government in Punjab, the AAP could now work towards setting an example of their work and project Punjab as a model State of their work to move ahead nationally. The AAP pitched its campaign surrounding the ‘Delhi model of governance’, seeking ‘one chance’ to form the next government, which seems to have cut the ice among voters.

The drubbing faced by the ruling Congress makes it evident that it has paid a heavy cost for its internal infighting besides the anti-incumbency factor. The party, ahead of the polls, had bet its fortune surrounding the ‘Dalit’ politics, which also have failed to pay the dividend.