The
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has set the ball rolling in Punjab by announcing its
first candidate, noted Supreme Court lawyer HS Phooka from Ludhiana. Though the
popularity of Arvind Kejriwal's fledgling party has taken a hit after his
49-day stint in power at Delhi, the AAP's decision to contest all 13
parliamentary seats in Punjab is giving its main political parties the jitters.
The
ruling Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP combine is watching every move of the AAP
closely, right from its efforts to build an organisational structure in
villages, cities and towns to those signing up as volunteers or applying for
party tickets. The state's intelligence machinery is working overtime to keep
tabs on disgruntled leaders not just in the ruling party but also the Congress
who may go the AAP way.
Though
the SAD says the AAP is following its social welfare agenda, it is precisely
fearing that the party would give it a run for its money on populism. Phoolka's
candidature has also queered the pitch for the Akali Dal's bid to project
itself as the custodian of the Panthic agenda. SAD president Sukhbir Badal may
even bet on a Hindu face from Ludhiana to polarise Sikh and Hindu votes. As for
the Congress, it is already weighing options other than Manish Tewari, who may
opt for a safer haven to escape a high-stakes triangular contest.
But
on the face of it, the SAD is dismissive of the AAP as a threat. Party
spokesman Daljeet Singh Cheema says, "Kejriwal's philosophy worked in
Delhi as he promised voters waiver of power and water bills. The SAD is already
giving free power in Punjab and footing a huge food subsidy bill on atta and
dal.
They
have fielded Phoolka from Ludhiana, saying that he has fought for justice to
Sikh riot-hit families. The SAD and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee
(SGPC) have been waging a long battle for justice to these families, including
hiring lawyers for them and representing them before various commissions of
inquiry. What new is the AAP offering to Punjab? Their common man and justice
agenda seems to be a copy of ours."
Wiser
from its experience in Delhi, the Congress does not dismiss the AAP outrightly
but says how the factor plays out in Punjab is yet to be seen. The party is
meanwhile hunting for allies and negotiating a poll deal with all state
opposition parties, including the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), People's Party of
Punjab (PPP), the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Communist Party of
India-Marxist (CPM).
According
to sources, the Congress is willing to concede more ground to BSP supremo
Mayawati in Uttar Pradesh for a better bargain in Punjab to swing the Dalit
votes in its favour.
But
it concedes that the AAP factor will see all parties dumping tainted
candidates. Punjab Congress spokesman Raman Subramanyam says, "All parties
will try to field clean, accessible candidates.
In
that case, how will the AAP's candidate be better than ours? It is a party
without grassroots cadre and no track record of governance.
Punjab
has moved ahead of considerations based on caste and religion. By fielding
Phoolka from Ludhiana, who is one of the highly-paid lawyers of Delhi and doing
no charity by fighting cases of riot-hit families, they will have to answer for
all the 30,000 Hindus killed in Punjab during the days of militancy."
Drawing
a parallel with Manpreet Badal-led PPP, he says lofty ideals don't sell in
Punjab. "Manpreet put up great rallies but could not muster any seat in
the 2012 assembly polls.
The
AAP has betrayed its supporters by para-dropping candidates and not walking the
talk on direct democracy - the selection of the common man for the ticket by
the common man. The Congress has yet to announce its candidates in Punjab and
the situation will change once that happens," Subramanyam adds.
The
AAP is finding it difficult to walk the talk. The party was forced to make some
changes in its constitution following practical problems over the selection of
candidates. "We want selection to be a democratic process but it is not
possible to always do so. So, the national executive has been given the power
to nominate candidates. For instance, if there is just one applicant from a
particular seat, he or she cannot be given the ticket just because they are the
only claimant," AAP's Punjab spokesman Naveen Jairath said.
