NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the political analysts believe, must develop a “Punjab-specific development model” to strengthen its position in the state after its “Delhi model” failed to gain traction in the national capital in the recently concluded assembly elections.
Following the party’s embarrassing defeat in Delhi, the opposition in Punjab is expected to become more aggressive in their efforts to challenge AAP ahead of the 2027 state elections.
Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to form the government in Delhi for the first time after 27 years after securing 48 out of 70 seats in the polls.
Political experts suggest that AAP’s loss in Delhi poses a significant challenge for the party in Punjab, where it must work to maintain its unity and enhance its governance.
AAP came to power in Punjab in 2022 with a sweeping victory, winning 92 out of 117 assembly seats. It campaigned on the promise of replicating the “Delhi model,” which included benefits such as free electricity, financial assistance for women, improved healthcare, and better education facilities.
Ronki Ram, a political science professor at Panjab University, told news agency PTI that Delhi voters rejected this model as they deemed it unsustainable.
“If people of Delhi did not support that model then why would people of Punjab support it?” he asked.
Pramod Kumar, chairperson of the Institute for Development and Communication, echoed similar sentiments.
“They (AAP) promised to implement the Delhi model of development in Punjab. What fate that model has met in Delhi, the same fate it will meet in Punjab. They will have to plan a Punjab-specific model. The lesson is that the Delhi model will not function in Punjab,” he stated.
According to the experts, AAP’s setback in Delhi not only poses a challenge for the party but also provides an opportunity for opposition groups in Punjab as the next assembly elections approach.
“Now, Punjab will come into an election mode and the AAP will be shifting its total focus in Punjab. For AAP, this is the challenge of how to keep the party consolidated which means to keep its MLAs together so that they could not be poached by any party,” Kumar said.
“The second challenge is how to give a better performance. There will be a direct intervention of party leader Arvind Kejriwal in day-to-day affairs to improve the party’s performance in the state,” he explained.
As for the opposition, Kumar noted that the future of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and BJP depends on whether they decide to form an alliance. Otherwise, both parties would struggle to pose a strong challenge to AAP individually.
The Congress, on the other hand, will have to strategise on how to regain prominence and take an assertive stance in Punjab.
Before the Delhi assembly elections, AAP’s Punjab leadership, including chief minister Bhagwant Mann, cabinet ministers, MPs, and MLAs, actively campaigned for the party’s candidates in Delhi.
They highlighted achievements in Punjab such as providing 50,000 government jobs, offering 300 units of free electricity, launching 850 ‘mohalla clinics,’ and acquiring a private thermal power plant.
Mann, a key campaigner, led roadshows in Delhi, promoting his government’s work in Punjab to garner support for AAP candidates.
Meanwhile, opposition parties in Punjab have been highly critical of the AAP government, citing concerns over deteriorating law and order, increasing debt, and drug-related issues.
Following AAP’s defeat in Delhi, political opponents in Punjab accused the party of misleading voters.
They asserted that the people of Delhi had “exposed the lies and deceit” of the Arvind Kejriwal-led party and condemned the Mann government for “misgovernance” and “deceiving voters with false promises.”
Delhi assembly results mark AAP’s second major electoral setback after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where it managed to win only three out of Punjab’s 13 parliamentary seats.
With AAP facing a critical juncture, its future in Punjab remains uncertain as political opponents ramp up their attacks, sensing an opportunity to weaken the party’s hold on the state.
Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa predicted internal strife within AAP’s Punjab unit, claiming, “There would be an internal power struggle between Bhagwant Mann and Arvind Kejriwal.”
Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu echoed similar sentiments on X, posting, “History rewritten in Delhi! After 27 years, the people have given BJP a resounding mandate, embracing PM @narendramodi’s vision of Viksit Bharat. This victory is a testament to trust, development, and a brighter future. Thank you, Delhi.”
He further accused AAP of harbouring “the most corrupt leaders” and suggested that the party’s downfall in Punjab was imminent.