‘AAP Facing Existential Crisis in Punjab; People Disappointed by its Leaders’
Manpreet Singh, a native of Ludhiana, says with AAP losing its sheen and BJP out of the reckoning, Congress stands a fair chance to reclaim power in state. His views:
The future of AAP in Punjab looks increasingly uncertain, especially after several of its influential Rajya Sabha members recently deserted the ship. To look at where things began, the party’s grassroots growth and ultimate rise to power in Punjab were largely driven by the dedicated, painstaking efforts of Sandeep Pathak and Himanshu Pathak. The Pathaks, alongside Raghav Chadha, maintained a direct connection with the ground-level cadre and played a pivotal role in ensuring party tickets were distributed to the most deserving candidates.
The second major blow to the party has come on the financial front. Three of AAP’s strongest financial pillars—Ashok Mittal, Rajendra Gupta, and Vikramjit Singh Sahney—who ensured the party’s coffers never dried up, have also chosen to distance themselves alongside Chadha. Now left without its core financial managers, the party is struggling to keep its organizational structure intact.
Whispers of Rebellion
Signs of internal friction became starkly visible last month when Delhi AAP strongman Manish Sisodia convened a meeting of party MLAs and observers to assess the state of affairs. Out of AAP’s current strength of 92 MLAs in Punjab, only 25 to 30 attended. Speculation is now rife that over 60 MLAs are in constant communication with the rebel MPs, making a full-scale rebellion in Punjab a distinct possibility in the coming days.
The political dynamics in Punjab shifted drastically following AAP’s debacle in the New Delhi Vidhan Sabha elections last year. Prior to that defeat, Raghav Chadha and Sandeep Pathak acted as moderators for the Punjab government, allowing the administration to run relatively smoothly under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
However, following the Delhi losses, senior leaders Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia shifted their focus to Punjab, with Sisodia being appointed as the state in-charge. This top-down intervention has caused significant heartburn among local leaders, who view it as a direct infringement on their authority and autonomy.
In the wake of the Rajya Sabha defections, rumors suggest the party high command is considering “corrective measures” by loosening Delhi’s “remote control” grip and signaling that Chief Minister Mann will have a free hand in governance for the remainder of his tenure. Kejriwal reportedly sensed the brewing trouble early on, which is said to be a primary reason he began planning a gradual exit from Punjab affairs, symbolized by his move into a newly allotted bungalow in Delhi.
Ground Realities and Public Disillusionment
Beyond internal party politics, there is a strong undercurrent of resentment against the AAP government, spanning voters, the state administration, and the bureaucracy alike. This disillusionment stems heavily from a deteriorating law-and-order situation. There is a widespread and justifiable perception among Punjabi voters that the Mann government has failed miserably to curb the drug menace—the very issue that served as AAP’s biggest campaign plank and propelled it to power.
Any politically astute voter in Punjab will tell you that AAP is facing an existential crisis. The party has failed to fulfill its core pre-election promises, and worse, the public now views it as an unstable political entity incapable of keeping its own flock together.
With the BJP remaining largely unpopular in the state and AAP fast losing its momentum, the Congress is well-positioned to make significant gains in this critical border state—provided it plays its cards right. To capitalize on this vacuum, however, Congress will first need to set its own house in order and present a strong, unified leadership that is genuinely connected to the ground reality.
As told to Rajat Rai
