Lok Sabha polls: Advantage AAP as rivals try to get their acts together in Punjab

Voting in Punjab will be held on June 1, the seventh phase of the Lok Sabha polls.

The Congress bagged eight of the 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab in 2019, bucking the pro-BJP trend in neighbouring states. The SAD and the BJP, then fighting as allies, won two seats each. The Aam Aadmi Party got just the Sangrur seat then.

But the AAP stormed the state in the 2022 assembly polls winning 92 of the 117 seats, and is now eyeing a much bigger chunk of the Lok Sabha pie as well.

Going into the campaign, Arvind Kejriwal's party will focus on the implementation of the promises it made ahead of the state elections — free electricity for up to 300 units per month, government jobs and steps taken against corruption.

Also showcased will be its "Aam Aadmi clinics" and "Schools of Eminence" with modern infrastructure.

The polls will be a test for Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann who has expressed confidence that his AAP will sweep the elections in Punjab with a 13-0 result. "History will be created," he said recently.

The AAP is expected to face criticism from the opposition parties over issues like law and order, drug trafficking, illegal sand mining and the failure to fulfil a key promise to provide Rs 1,000 per month to women.

Ahead of the election announcement, there was speculation over the BJP and the SAD reviving their alliance that unraveled in 2020 — when the Akalis walked out of the NDA over the three "anti-farmer" bills enacted at the Centre.

Punjab farmer unions started a fresh agitation last month for a legal guarantee on the minimum support price for crops. Their 'Delhi Chalo' march has been stalled at the Haryana border but the protest still simmers.

And the Akalis who left the NDA alliance over the farmers' issue are unlikely to shake hands with the BJP while the agitation is still on.

As Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann began a mediation of sorts between the farm leaders and the Centre, the Akali Dal suspended its own "Punjab Bachao Yatra" in solidarity with the farmers, who form a major chunk of its vote base.

After parting with the Akalis, the BJP aspired to increase its own footprint in Punjab by wooing Sikhs. It brought into its fold several Sikh leaders, including former chief minister Amarinder Singh, Rana Gurmit Singh, Fatehjung Bajwa and Parminder Brar.

The Congress, which is the main opposition party in Punjab, would like to retain its previous tally. But, as during the last assembly polls, the party is challenged by the infighting in its own ranks.

Its former state unit chief Navjot Singh Sidhu has started holding rallies on his own without consulting the state leadership, and some party leaders have sought disciplinary action against the former cricketer.

Again, the AAP stands to gain.