AAP office falls silent after Doaba drub, on most seats party contended with NOTA

Aparna Banerji

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, May 26

While several small tents erected outside the AAP’s Jalandhar campaign office saw some activity among the party’s 150 to 200 odd workers as long as the party’s Jalandhar candidate Justice Jora Singh canvassed in the city, the office now wears a deserted look.

Barring winning seats, while the AAP was mostly second or third contender at many seats in the state in 2014, in the 2019 elections, the party has ironically been contending with NOTA on many of its seats.

After its worst drubbing in Doaba (and the state) ever since the inception of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), its offices have now completely fallen silent, even as the party candidate has left the city and not even held a meet with workers after the results. While the SAD, on Saturday, organised a meeting (with Jalandhar BJP leaders invited) to analyse its defeat and thank the electorate that voted for Jalandhar SAD candidate Charanjit Singh Atwal, AAP hasn’t held a single meeting ever since the party candidate Justice Jora Singh lost his security deposit.

The only AAP-related activity in the region was Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann’s visit to Khatkar Kalan yesterday. Mann placed the certificate he received from the RO at the feet of the statue of Bhagat Singh.

While Mann has registered the only AAP win in the state, in the elections this year AAP put up its worst performances in Khadoor Sahib (13,656 votes) Ludhiana (15,945 votes), Amritsar (20,087 votes), Gurdaspur (27,744 votes), Jalandhar (25,467 votes), Hoshiarpur (44,914 votes), Anandpur Sahib (53,052 votes) and Patiala (56,8777 votes).

In Doaba: At Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur and Anandpur Sahib, AAP received 25,467 votes, 44,914 votes and 53,052 votes, respectively, while the NOTA stood at 12,324 votes, 12,868 votes and 17,355 votes, respectively. At Ludhiana, AAP had only a little over 5,000 difference between NOTA (with AAP candidate receiving 15,945 votes and NOTA being 10,538 votes). At Khadoor Sahib AAP received 13,656 votes and NOTA stood at 5,130.

While in the Doaba constituencies of Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur, the AAP collectively lost 3,97,111 votes (as compared to those polled to AAP candidates Jyoti Mann (Jalandhar) and Yamini Gomar (Hoshiarpur) in 2014), at Anandpur Sahib (much of the constituency falls in Doaba) the party lost 2,52,956 votes.

Party sources said while there was no word on any meeting or analysis of the party performance in the district so far, there were no instructions on any party activity or meet in future either. The party office rented for the formal campaign work for a period of one to two months, now lies closed. Jalandhar candidate Justice Jora Singh left soon after the poll. He had come to Jalandhar on the day of counting, but did not visit the counting centre and left the city soon after results were out.

Worst performances

AAP put up worst performances at Khadoor Sahib (13,656 votes) Ludhiana (15,945 votes), Amritsar (20,087 votes), Gurdaspur (27,744 votes), Jalandhar (25,467 votes), Hoshiarpur (44,914 votes), Anandpur Sahib (53,052 votes) and Patiala (56,8777 votes). In Doaba — at Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur and Anandpur Sahib AAP received 25,467 votes, 44,914 votes and 53,052 votes while the NOTA stood at 12,324 votes, 12,868 votes and 17,355 votes, respectively.  At Ludhiana, AAP had only a little over 5,000 difference between NOTA.