The fall of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the Delhi Assembly election has sent shock waves through Punjab, the only State where the party currently holds power. The AAP’s defeat at the hands of the BJP has undoubtedly lifted the spirits of both the Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal), two key players in the Sikh-majority border State. This is despite the fact that the Congress failed to secure a single seat in the Delhi Assembly election for the third consecutive time, while SAD (Badal) chose not to field any candidates in the national capital this time round.
The Delhi results have certainly added a new layer of intrigue to Punjab politics as these parties gear up for future battles. Following the AAP’s crushing defeat, party convenor and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal met with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, his Cabinet colleagues, and party MLAs in Delhi. The AAP claimed that the meeting was held to thank them for their efforts in the Delhi election and to discuss making Punjab a model State ahead of the 2027 Assembly election. However, critics viewed it as Kejriwal’s attempt to keep the besieged party intact in Punjab and reassert his influence over the State government after his own electoral loss in Delhi.
