Unlike Sangrur, meticulous planning worked for AAP in Jalandhar bypoll

Chandigarh, May 14

Opposition parties might accuse it of misusing official machinery in the Jalandhar Lok Sabha bypoll, the ruling AAP has proved meticulous planning and populist measures can work wonders in any electoral battle however tough it may be. AAP’s Sushil Rinku defeated Karamjit Kaur Chaudhary of the Congress by 58,691 votes, becoming his party’s only MP in the Lok Sabha.

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With the victory, AAP not only breached the citadel of the Congress — it held the seat for 24 years — but also ensured that former allies Akali Dal and BJP continued to remain irrelevant in Punjab’s politics despite re-strategising after parting ways. Unlike the Sangrur Lok Sabha bypoll, which came less than three months after its Assembly poll victory, AAP had everything in place much in advance in Jalandhar. “Several teams were constituted with ministers on the top and MLAs as its members. A rigid poll schedule was prepared and the progress mapped daily,” said an AAP legislator.

An Opposition leader from Adampur alleged that the AAP government indulged in pressure tactics. “Village sarpanches were sent out a clear message through block-level officers that release of grants for developmental works may get affected if Sushil Rinku didn’t secure lead from their respective areas,” he said. The allegations notwithstanding, AAP has emerged a winner in several ways. Not only has the party re-entered the Lok Sabha, but it has also managed to re-energise its cadre who were demoralised after the Sangrur defeat. Declared a national party by the Election Commission recently, AAP would now look to continue the winning momentum till the 2024 General Election.

BJP leader Subhash Sharma too admitted that AAP did its planning well. “The cake-walk victory surprised us. Besides routine smear campaigns in the media against rivals, AAP engaged strategically with the voters, highlighting mainly the facility of free power and Aam Aadmi Clinics,” he said.

Vidhan Sabha Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa alleged that AAP intimidated the voters. “False cases were registered against our leaders as AAP was aware that it faced the biggest challenge from the Congress…. Our Shahkot MLA Hardev Singh Laddi Sherowalia was booked after he caught an AAP MLA openly flouting the election code. A false case was registered against Sukhpal Khaira because he exposed a minister,” he said.

A media adviser to the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said the “biggest mistake” the Congress committed was targeting the AAP regime without showing any alternative path. “We made people understand the benefits of the schemes rolled out by us, including free power up to 300 units and revamped health facilities, in only one year of our rule,” he said.

About the Congress allegations of trying to influence the election machinery, an AAP spokesperson said Opposition leaders had submitted their complaints to the election officials, who would take a call on these.