It’s Punjab next, claims Bhagwant

Ruchika M Khanna

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 14

The pitch for battleground Punjab has been set, the players are ready and the match with the Congress is all set to begin. We don’t even consider the Akali Dal to be in the field, as the audience (voters) has already rejected them, says Bhagwant Mann, president of AAP state unit, as he basks in the party’s success at the hustings in Delhi.

Mann, who came to Punjab after aggressively campaigning for his party in Delhi for almost a month, says the party’s entire concentration will now be on Punjab.

The central leadership is all set to build (political) inroads, treading a more cautious and mature path, and present itself as a formidable force in the state. “The people of Punjab are already with us. They have seen how good governance in Delhi can change the face of the state,” he tells The Tribune.

In the coming days, says the Sangrur MP, the state unit will get more aggressive and organise protests to make the incumbent Congress government rise from its political “reverie”.

“All democratic means will be used to raise public issues and force the government to act. The first issue we will take up is that of high power tariff. People of Punjab are unable to bear it and are forced to cut down on consumption. The power intensive industry is also hit, which has adversely affected the economy,” he says, adding that this issue will be raised by the party in the Budget session of Vidhan Sabha.

On reports of the party’s central leadership playing a bigger role in Punjab unit affairs, post win in Delhi, with probability of structural changes in the party, Mann says the central leadership has always remained involved in the state unit. “Now that we have won Delhi, the leadership will concentrate entirely on strategising party’s win in Punjab in 2022… but in consultation with the state leadership. Our focus will now be on strengthening the party cadre. We will showcase the Delhi model of governance and promise what all we could do to improve things for the voters, who feel let down by the Congress, and by the SAD-BJP. We will only talk about development to counter those who rake communal or Panthic issues to get votes,” he says.

On the speculation that AAP might depend on three regional party leaders, rather than just one incharge of the entire state unit, Mann says he is unaware of such a move.

Mann, however, remains non-committal on efforts aimed at unification of rebel and dissenting MLAs and leaders and those who deserted the party. On attempts by political strategist Prashant Kishor, who recently came on board AAP, to end differences between warring leaders and even bring splinter political groups on board, Mann says the effort is good and needed to strengthen AAP.