Ahead of Punjab Assembly polls, AAP fritters away gains

Ruchika M Khanna

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 12

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) seems to be frittering away its gains, just before the Assembly polls. With the party’s central leadership unwilling to yield any control to local leaders, resentment among the rank and file is now showing the signs of the party breaking away, irrespective of a groundswell in favour of the party. With less than three months to go for the polls, the party has not announced a chief ministerial face.

It is only after they suffered a setback this week (with two MLAs switching over to the Congress), that the party quickly released its first list of candidates, giving tickets to 10 sitting MLAs. This has reportedly been done to plug the exit route for its MLAs, some of who are in “advanced stages of talks” with other parties. The only MLA whose name has not been announced as candidate is Amarjit Singh Sandoa, who is back in the party after rebelling in 2019.

SAD that some have Backstabbed: Cheema

• Brushing aside any insinuations the party was breaking, AAP MLA Harpal Singh Cheema said: “In the last polls, AAP worked hard for each candidate’s win. It is sad some have backstabbed us”
• “Our party supremo Arvind Kejriwal gives us guidelines, but we work independently,” he said, stressing the CM candidate would be announced at the right time

Though no one from the party was willing to go on the record, several leaders The Tribune spoke to said the unwillingness of the party high command to delegate some responsibility to local leaders and allow them to work autonomously, was costing the party dear. “There is just too much interference. We are on the ground and know how to strategise, but the central leadership won’t let us do anything,” rued a senior MLA.

Other than the two MLAs who switched sides to the Congress this week, another three are reportedly in talks with the ruling party. Party leaders here were thoroughly embarrassed when MLAs Rupinder Kaur Ruby and Jagtar Singh Jagga Hissowal jumped over to the Congress camp, while the Vidhan Sabha session was on.

The AAP is now left with 11 MLAs, though technically rebel MLA Kanwar Sandhu, and three others — Pirmal Singh Khalsa, Nazar Singh Mansahia and Jagdev Singh Kamalu, who have joined the Congress, continue to be in the party, along with Ruby and Jagga. While the party’s strength in the House remains at 17, effectively it is 11.

Sonu Sood meets CM, Chaudhary

Amid reports of actor Sonu Sood joining the AAP, Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and Punjab affairs incharge Harish Chaudhary met the actor in Chandigarh on Friday. Though the outcome of the meeting was not known, it was being assumed the Congress wanted to completely “disarm” the AAP in run-up to the elections.