‘Punjab chose AAP to teach others a lesson’

AAP’s chief ministerial candidate Bhagwant Mann offers prayers at a Gurudwara, in Sangrur on Thursday. Pic/ANI

Though the Aam Aadmi Party crushed heavyweights and emerged the single-largest party in Punjab, political experts say it could be the result of ‘negative voting', which means the people voted against the other parties as opposed to voting for the AAP. Some also said that floating voters played a part in the party making history in the state.

"I was sure that AAP would perform better in Punjab where the government cannot be made without the support of AAP, because people were not happy with the Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal. The people of Punjab wanted a change and voted for the AAP," Dr Mohammed Khalid, professor of political science, Panjab University, Chandigarh, told mid-day.

"So, I consider it negative voting for the AAP because the voters had no option but to vote for ‘jhadu'. Also, the AAP had nothing to show the voters as they did not have any minister in Punjab," he said. Saying that the BJP was not a player in Punjab politics, barring a few areas like Pathankot, Dr Khalid said that though the party tried its best to win the Assembly polls, "their dirty politics could not win despite many BJP heavyweights making several rounds of influential Deras in Punjab".

Manjit Singh, retired professor of sociology, Panjab University

He concluded, "The Akali Dal and the BJP, which used to rule Punjab politics in an alliance, have learnt that they can fall flat if they contest the polls separately." Manjit Singh, retired professor of sociology from Panjab University, said, "The Congress had been working relentlessly only to face defeat. The infighting within the party proved fatal. And, Punjab never liked the BJP and the voters had decided not to vote for the saffron party after the massive farmers' protest."

"The voters did not vote to help the AAP mark a landslide victory in the Assembly polls but to decimate the Congress, Akali Dal and BJP. They did not care who the AAP candidates were or their background. They voted for the AAP to teach the Congress and Akali Dal a lesson," Singh told mid-day. When asked about his opinion on how the AAP is likely to lead the government, he said, "The government will be run by the national convener of AAP, Arvind Kejriwal. He will direct CM Bhagwant Mann from Delhi."

Another political expert, Dr Pyara Lal Garg, former dean, faculty of medical sciences at Panjab University, said, "Floating voters helped AAP win. The people voted for badlav [change] and the poll results proved that there was an anti-incumbency sentiment against the entire privileged political class."

"There was collective angst against the farm laws and the farmers were unhappy with the BJP. The regular bickering in the Congress quarters made voters unhappy with them, too. Above all, despite splitting ties with the BJP, the Akali Dal failed to prove itself. So, the voters had no options but to choose AAP," he added.

March 10
Day poll results were announced