Kejri broom eyes clean sweep

Jupinderjit Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 8

“People of Punjab prepared the field for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The party just had to sow the seeds of victory, but it chose to oust many of those who had done the groundwork.” These words of a Dera Baba Nanak farmer sound ominous as the beleaguered AAP gears up for the Assembly elections.

Till early last year, Arvind Kejriwal’s party was riding the crest of popularity. Everything seemed to be going its way. The state’s voters had sprung a huge surprise by sending four of its candidates to the Lok Sabha in 2014. Punjab was the only state where AAP managed to open its account (of the 434 candidates it fielded across the country, 414 forfeited their security deposit). The resounding triumph in the 2015 Delhi Assembly elections gave the party hope that it could upset the Akali applecart. Then, things started going wrong. State unit convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur’s exit under controversial circumstances opened the floodgates for dissent and rebellion. In recent months, the party bigwigs have largely been in the damage-control mode, trying to keep their flock together. The biggest challenge is to regain the voters’ trust.

The party can boast of a headstart, being the first to announce all its candidates. On most of the seats, it has fielded greenhorns against seasoned campaigners, making it a David vs Goliath battle. Many of the candidates have carved a niche for themselves in their respective fields, be it sports, education, Army or the medical profession. A retired Brigadier, Raj Kumar, has been pitted against Choudhary Nand Lal, an Akali veteran who has won the past four elections from Balachaur. A woman sarpanch, a post-graduate and a small-time farmer leader, all political novices, are among the wannabe MLAs.

Despite the setbacks, Durgesh Pathak, AAP national organisation head, exudes confidence: “The party is riding high on the energy and support of the people, who are sick of the diplomatic politics of the Congress and the Akalis. We will fulfil our promise of bringing about a sea change in governance as well as the way the elections are contested.”

He says the winds of change are already blowing. “The aam aadmi (common man) has entered the electoral arena. People tell us that we will sweep the polls with more than 100 seats.”

The party seems to be learning the tricks of the trade. Kejriwal is spending a lot of time placating the aggrieved leaders. For instance, singer-turned-politician Jassi Jasraj was won over recently with the posts of vice-president and spokesperson. In the past two weeks, the party has appointed as many as 70 vice-presidents and general secretaries in its various wings. However, the appeasement exercise, coupled with the Delhi vs Punjab leadership row, has taken its toll on the AAP campaign.

Prof Jayanth N Pethkar of the Department of Mass Communication, Panjab University, Chandigarh, says, “There was a time when it looked certain that AAP would form the next government in Punjab. But many left it due to infighting, a clash of egos and ambitions. The party started giving confusing signals to the voters, who wondered how it was different from the others.”

The “no CM face” policy seems more like a political compulsion to rein in the contenders. “AAP, or for that matter any party, should name its chief ministerial candidate. Voters should know who they are voting for,” adds Prof Pethkar.

Prof Kehar Singh, retired head of the Department of Political Science, Punjabi University, Patiala, says the party is a force to reckon with in Malwa, where it won all its four Lok Sabha seats. “It apparently has a strong following in the region, which has 67 seats. People want to try them out.”

However, opinion is divided over the gamble of fielding rookies. Honey Mansahia, a Malwa-based transporter, says, “Post-demonetisation, people are asking: If experienced parties can take such a decision which causes chaos, what will the inexperienced ones do? Agreed that the youth want change, but you can’t ignore the key factors of stability and experience.”

Here, the party has opted for the conventional strategy of pitting top leaders against rival stalwarts: Jarnail Singh against Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal from Lambi, Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann versus Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal from Jalalabad; and Himmat Singh Shergill against Bikram Singh Majithia from Majitha. These high-profile contests will have a major bearing on the party’s fortunes.

Prof Kehar Singh feels the move has a symbolic value. “Their candidates may not stand a chance, but the message is clear that AAP fears no leader or party, money and muscle power. The leaders want to embolden the voters.”