Congress has hit the nadir in Punjab and many in AAP are not willing to help resurrect it.
As the AAP-Congress talks for seat sharing are ongoing, an alliance in Punjab is believed to be unlikely as the parties could face resistance on the ground between rank and file of both the parties and it could culminate in weaker electoral prospects.
A Congress leader said, “The cadre of both the parties have fought hammer and tongs against each other in earlier elections. Moreover, we are talking about the alliance between the ruling party and the principal opposition party. That would weaken our prospects. That I don’t think would be a good idea for long term. Moreover, within AAP cadre in Punjab, there is a sentiment of Congress having reached its low, and allying with Congress for them would mean resurrecting the grand old party which they don’t want to do. Above all, it would be difficult to bring the two cadres together even if the alliance happens. Thus the parties may choose to contest separately.”
Moreover, as alliance talks are on, the BJP, according to an independent survey, seems to be gaining ground in the electoral space of the state.
The survey in its primary round has found BJP being more favoured by voters than it was before. The saffron camp has found an uptick in popularity in Punjab as several voters have shown their resentment towards the functioning of AAP government. The surveyor on the condition of anonymity said, “We have taken samples from all the constituencies and we are getting to know that BJP’s acceptance has increased in Punjab, which is quite a surprise.”
However, other political observers believe that as the electorate may not be convinced with the functioning of AAP government in Punjab therefore they might be looking for a choice. He said, “There are only two parties Congress and AAP who have greater acceptance in the state in context of the Assembly elections, but in Lok Sabha BJP can perform well.
Yet if the two I.N.D.I.A bloc parties in Punjab find a way to corner anti-bloc parties it would be difficult for BJP to compete.”
A political analyst based in Punjab said, “It would be interesting to see how the results will turn out if both the parties, AAP and Congress, contest the elections in an alliance. Because very rarely do we get to see a ruling party and principal opposition party coming together to contest elections. But now that it seems that they might contest separately it will help both the parties hold their own narrative. Should there be an alliance, there will always be the possibility of anti-alliance parties (Akali Dal and BJP) getting momentum on the narrative front.”
Consequently, it is believed that if the I.N.D.I. Alliance falters to form a concrete startegy in Punjab for the Lok Sabha elections, it would be a challenging contest for all the stakeholders.