AAP has leadership crisis in Punjab-Mohindru
Dr Pankaj Mohindru
It would remain an atypical test for Arvind Kejriwal, Convener of AAP to reiterate the success like Delhi assembly elections in Punjab state in the beginning of 2022.
The actual issues of Punjab state are exclusively different from the other states of the northern India. The Punjab elections held in 2017 expressed this decisively to the AAP Convener and put him on the wrong side of history. The biggest negative aspect of the party in this critical border state is that presently they do not have any considerable leader in the party belonging to Punjab state who can lead from the front to pose major challenge to the main parties.
It is remarkable that AAP party is able to repeat its government in Delhi state in assembly elections held in Feb 2020 primarily based on freebies for all the segments especially in last one year. It is appreciable that they are able to bring reforms successfully in school education system and able to give better health facilities with mohalla clinics, Providing 24-hour electricity in the national capital due to their well-off financial position. Delhi state is a cash rich state where huge taxes are paid by industries and corporate houses while on the other hand Punjab state still has to pay loans more than 2.5 Lacs crore.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) & BJP had two consecutive terms from 2007 to 2012 and 2012 -2017 in Punjab which were full of lackluster financial policies. There was hardly any attempt by the ruling government to increase the revenue in the state during that period. The industry was ruined and was forced to move around to neighboring states like Himachal Pradesh, Haryana etc. The ruling party was accused time and again to devastate the public transport, Cable etc for their vested private endeavors. They were able to finish two terms somehow by selling important government lands at prime locations in the whole state. The power subsidy to farmers is another obstruction to the financial health of the state.
The present ruling Congress government came to power in this cash deficit state in 2017 and up till now they are not able to fulfill the promises made to the people during the elections. The Captain government is not able to effectively sway significant development in key sectors like education and health service due to the inherited poor financial position created by its predecessor government.
Dr Mohindru, (Human Rights Activist) and is In-charge of University Science Instrumentation Centre (USIC) at Punjabi University, Patiala mentioned to the press that our Punjab state had witnessed a most terrible period of Militancy for over a decade and the irony of Punjab is that no central government till now has given any major financial relief package to Punjab. The unusual part of Punjab Politics is that most of the period the state and central governments were run by unlike parties after the period of terrorism.
The forthcoming elections in 2022 put a big question mark to Arvind Kejriwal, National Convener of AAP that how his party would be able to replicate Delhi like model in this state where coffers are totally empty. It would be quite crucial for him to make a decision regarding a leader for Punjab well in advance who can furnish a roadmap to allure the voters of Punjab. It is ponder able how his party would transform the deplorable financial situation of the state if they could come to power and how they would revive the deprived economy when Modi led BJP government is at the Centre.
About the writer-
Dr Pankaj Mohindru is In-charge of University Science Instrumentation Centre (USIC) at Punjabi University, Patiala and a Human Rights Activist.
The views expressed are personal
March,16,2020
