AAP leaders’ aggressive campaign paid dividends

Ruchika M Khanna

Chandigarh, May 13

The Aam Aadmi Party has regained its representation in the Lok Sabha, with party candidate from Sushil Kumar Rinku wresting the seat from the Congress.

An aggressive campaign by the party and making “good governance” and “corruption by the predecessors” as the main poll plank propelled the ruling party to success.

The party had lost its lone seat in the Lok Sabha (Sangrur) in a bypoll last year. Sangrur was represented by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who had to step down after becoming the Chief Minister, necessitating a bypoll. The win by a margin of 58,691 votes not only gives the party representation in the Lok Sabha, but also confidence for the local body poll to be declared soon. By getting 34 per cent of the total votes today, the party believes that the victory also sets the tone for their 2024 General Election.

What worked in the party’s favour was the 300 units of free power to domestic consumers, filling of vacancies in government departments and a very aggressive campaign, highlighting the “corruption in the past and steps taken to rein it in with high-profile political arrests”.

Though embattled by the Latifpura incident in Jalandhar, video leak and complaint of sexual misconduct by a minister and by a local party leader in Moga, blasts in Amritsar on the poll eve and the case of alleged police high-handedness in the arrest of a journalist, the party managed to clear these hurdles with a focused campaign, highlighting its achievements. It reached out to every religious dera (which command a huge following and influence over voters) and voters through a door-to-door campaign.

Mann also went in for an aggressive campaigning with some support from AAP supremo CM Arvind Kejriwal.

“This is a vote for development and people have judged and supported us for the works done in just one year,” party poll campaign chief for Jalandhar and Finance Minister Harpal Cheema said.

Beginning from the scratch, where the party initially did not have a candidate (Rinku had switched sides from the Congress after others from opposition parties had turned down the AAP offer), to ensuring an impressive win, it was made possible by “getting all hands in the party working,” said Cheema.

By managing to win nearly one-third votes in a four-cornered contest, it seems that AAP’s model of governance has been accepted by voters.

A battle of prestige

The ruling party had made it a battle of prestige in Jalandhar. By managing to win nearly one-third votes in a four-cornered contest, it seems that AAP’s model of governance has been accepted by voters.