Punjab: Battle for supremacy between AAP and BJP, Congress ‘faltering’ in contact campaign
Punjab: While the Congress, BJP and Akali Dal tried to make the most of the row over AAP’s controversial land pooling policy, the ruling party was quick to intervene to defuse the brewing political crisis. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann wasted no time in further strengthening AAP’s anti-BJP narrative, especially after the Centre’s directive to cancel nearly 11 lakh ration cards under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana. Sensing farmers’ anger over the land pooling policy, the saffron party wasted no time in launching a “BJP de sevadaar aa gaye tuhade dwaar” campaign to “acquaint” voters with various central schemes. AAP’s Delhi leadership was quick to support the Indian Bloc’s charge of vote theft against the BJP and criticised the Election Commission (EC) for failing to conduct free and fair elections in the country. Back home, the ruling party termed the BJP’s public relations campaign an “illegal data gathering exercise” and placed several saffron party leaders under preventive arrest. The continuous developments in the political scenario of the state in the last few days are proving to be crucial in influencing the urban and rural voters ahead of the 2027 assembly elections. In the fast-changing political scenario, political pundits say that it seems that the BJP has replaced the Congress as the main opponent of the AAP. As the Congress is grappling with its internal strife and the Akali Dal is still not able to consolidate its hold, the BJP wants to make the most of this opportunity. Further strengthening this deadlock, the BJP, through Haryana Chief Minister Naib Singh Saini, targeted the AAP for failing to provide monthly Rs 1,100 to women in Punjab. This statement came after Saini announced a monthly assistance of Rs 2,100 for women in Haryana under the ‘Deendayal Lado Laxmi Yojana’.
As the clock is inching closer to the state assembly elections, both the AAP and the BJP have intensified their efforts to woo the wider beneficiaries of welfare schemes. While the BJP has mobilised its party workers and resources to reach out to the targeted beneficiaries of central schemes like PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana, Ayushman Jan Arogya Yojana, Vishwakarma Yojana and e-Shram Yojana, the AAP has been reminding the public about 300 units of free electricity, insurance cover of Rs 10 lakh, canal water reaching the tail end of irrigation canals and other schemes. This development has made the Congress leadership nervous. With the assembly elections now just 17 months away, party strategists fear that AAP’s opposition to the expansion of the BJP and its tough stand against the saffron party over the alleged removal of ration cards in both urban and rural areas could dent the Congress vote bank.
Rather, it is a double whammy for the Congress as the BJP and the AAP are not only targeting the wider voter base but are also systematically reaching out among OBC and Hindu voters. Party strategists believe that the OBC, Dalit and Hindu factors will shape the outcome of the next elections. Saini’s recent announcement of providing jobs to families of victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots is widely seen as an attempt to consolidate support within the Sikh community. While the BJP has chosen Saini to woo the OBC community, the AAP has also increased its outreach among Hindu voters. Interestingly, the AAP has announced the creation of a Hindu Temple Act and formed a Sanatan Seva Samiti led by Hindu leader Deepak Bali. The appointment of Aman Arora as the AAP Punjab chief was also a step in this direction. Political pundits say that amid deep differences in the Congress, the BJP and the AAP are trying to change their strategy to woo voters from all political parties – thereby denting the vote bank of the grand old party.
