A brutal opening

Crowds at a political gathering neither are nor should be an indicator of a party's popular standing. Unfortunately, that is what leaders themselves insist on reducing political battles to, even at solemn events such as the Maghi Mela in Muktsar. Dominated by the Congress and the SAD for the past two decades, the day this time belonged to the AAP, in terms of numbers as well as occupying mind space among both the public and political opponents. Capt Amarinder Singh of the Congress and Sukhbir Singh Badal of the SAD both dismissed the AAP as a party of ‘topi-waale’ — a phrase loaded with political and communal meaning in Punjab — yet devoted all their verbal energies to ridicule the new outfit. On his part, AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal was no less biting, targeting the Badal and Amarinder families personally.

The Muktsar event can well be declared the official opening of the electoral season. Anything said hereafter will be an indication of a party's policies. In that context, the speeches at all three congregations were a disappointment. The statements of purpose comprised nothing more than vague assurances on all fronts, from employment and agriculture to law and order. The negative attacks on one another, however, were specific and personal. Yet, for all their gusto, no party is prepared to promise dismantling of the populist edifice that governance in Punjab has been reduced to. The state would do well to brace for a brutal and dirty campaign.

After 10 years in power, the SAD has the disadvantage of not being able to convincingly blame the opponents for any of the ills in Punjab. It is just the reverse for the Congress and the AAP, but the latter has the added advantage of having little political baggage in the state. A major factor for the apparent ‘following’ of AAP may be curiosity; Kejriwal promised to build on that by ensuring long stays in the state. All that Capt Amarinder Singh could promise was a visit to every constituency. Sukhbir Badal made a declaration of how worked up he was for a fight. The voters have a good long year for enlightenment before they can make up their mind.