One year after its stunning win in the Assembly elections, the party has solidified its dominance in the state with this victory. There had not been an AAP representation in the Lok Sabha since Bhagwant Mann left his position as the MP for Sangrur to run in the 2022 Assembly election. Simranjit Singh Mann, a veteran of the SAD (Amritsar), defeated AAP’s Gurmail Singh in the byelection held in Sangrur in June, dealing a severe blow to the party.
Source: Tribune India
Thus, regaining the electoral mandate shows that the Arvind Kejriwal-led party applied what it had learned from the Sangrur fiasco and went above and beyond to win over people. It is a confirmation of the measures that AAP implemented in Punjab after taking office in March 2022, which largely included offering free electricity and creating mohalla clinics in addition to offering thousands of young people government employment.
The Congress, BJP, and SAD, the three main competing parties, were defeated in the Jalandhar conflict. The Congress’s dominance was destroyed when it came in second. Even with the state-wide AAP surge during the 2022 Assembly elections, the Congress defied the trend in Jalandhar.
Source: The Tribune
For the SAD, which just lost its towering leader, five-time CM Parkash Singh Badal, a dismal showing in the bypoll represents a new low. The party finished third in Jalandhar despite being a powerful force in Punjab politics for many years.
To reclaim lost ground in Punjab, the SAD urgently has to reestablish contact with the populace. The SAD’s junior ally in the state, the BJP, who split with the SAD over the Central agriculture regulations in 2021, came in fourth. It is clear that the party’s plan of luring state Congressmen out of office has not succeeded in turning the tide thus far.
What do you think about this? Comment below.
