Kejriwal's Inquilab: AAP bags 92 seats, a record in Punjab
Sanjeev Singh Bariana and Ruchika M Khanna
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, March 10
Punjab created history today by wiping out the traditional political establishment and, for the first time, handing over the reins of the state to the Aam Aadmi Party. Till now, Punjab has been ruled alternately by the Congress or the Shiromani Akali Dal.
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By giving an astounding victory to AAP, people of Punjab have apparently rejected the politics of caste, dera and religion. They have instead given the mandate to the pro-development agenda of AAP, which has promised good education, healthcare, employment and a conducive atmosphere for business and trade.
AAP has won 92 of the 117 Assembly seats — a massive jump from the 20 seats it acquired in the last state elections. The last time any party got such a decisive victory was in 1992, when the Congress had won 87 seats amidst a boycott by the SAD. The victory has also led to AAP claiming its arrival on the national political stage. Party incharge of Punjab affairs Raghav Chadha declared today that the party had become a national force and party supremo would be a principal challenger to PM Modi in times to come.
As expected, AAP emerged the strongest in the Malwa region, where it won 66 of the 69 seats. It was believed that the party wouldn’t have it easy in Doaba, but here too it won 10 of the 23 seats. In Majha, the party emerged victorious in 16 of the 25 seats, indicating that the AAP tsunami was across Punjab, sinking all political stalwarts. CM Charanjit Channi, 10 sitting ministers, five-time former CM Parkash Singh Badal, two-time former CM Capt Amarinder Singh, former CM Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, PCC chief Navjot Singh Sidhu and SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, all were swept away in the AAP wave. In Amritsar East contest, which was dubbed the “mother of all battles” between Sidhu and Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia, social worker and AAP candidate Jeevan Jyot Kaur turned out to be a “giant slayer”.
The Congress, which had swept the 2017 poll by winning 77 seats, suffered a drubbing. It was reduced to just 18 seats, while the SAD won just three seats. This is the worst-ever performance of the over 100-year-old party and it could lead to questions over the leadership.
The BJP won two seats, the BSP got one seat (Nawanshahr), which is not reserved, while one seat (Sultanpur Lodhi) has been won by Independent Rana Inder Partap Singh.
The BSP, which fought the elections in alliance with the SAD, had contested on 20 seats. Sanyukt Samaj Morcha, a political front formed by farmers’ unions, failed to even open its account. SSM CM face Balbir Singh Rajewal, who contested from Samrala constituency, ranked sixth among 14 candidates.
It’s a revolution
A revolution in Punjab, it will now spread all over the country. Arvind Kejriwal, AAP
