aap-ends-up-fielding-5-ministers-3-legislators-3-defectors-for-ls-elections-in-punjab

In the end, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab ended up fielding five sitting ministers, three legislators, three defectors, one artist and the Chief Spokesperson for the Lok Sabha elections. Needless to say, it struggled to find the right candidates for multiple reasons. 

 

The AAP today completed the process of nomination of candidates for the June 1, General Elections with the announcement of the remaining four candidates for Ludhiana, Ferozepur, Gurdaspur and Jalandhar.

 

In Ludhiana, Ashok ‘Pappi’ Prashar, a sitting MLA from Ludhiana South was a surprise choice. To balance the demographics, the party nominated a ‘Hindu’ candidate from Ludhiana, perceived to be a Hindu-dominated parliamentary constituency.

 

The party had not nominated any Hindu candidate so far. Although Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal from Hoshiarpur and Pawan Kumar Tenu from Jalandhar are ‘broadly’ counted as Hindu candidates, since they belong to the reserved communities, they are counted separately in Punjab. In Punjab’s political terminology, a ‘Hindu’ candidate means, one belonging to the unreserved/general category only. 

 

Otherwise, the AAP had better choices in Ludhiana if it did not need to act under the compulsion of demographic balance. 

 

The party has fielded former Akali MLA Pawan Kumar Tinu from Jalandhar. He was inducted into the party a couple of days ago.

 

His candidature does not reflect well on the party, as it could not find any suitable candidate from within its ranks after its sitting MP whom it had fielded, defected to the BJP. 

 

This also reflects the need for strengthening the organisation in Punjab. 

 

The established parties like the Congress have to make tough choices since there are several aspirants for all constituencies. That is reflective of the strength of the party.  

 

So far, the party has fielded five sitting ministers, three sitting MLAs, three turncoats, one artist and the Chief Spokesperson of the party Malvinder Singh Kang, who in fact, is the only serious contender who aspired to be fielded from Shri Anandpur Sahib. 

 

It is not that the other candidates will not be serious about the constituencies they have been fielded from, but the fact is that none of the ministers and legislators expected or were keen to contest the parliamentary elections. Defectors from other parties did not see any chance for themselves in their parent parties. 

 

While the AAP will certainly not have the same problem in choosing the candidates for the Vidhan Sabha scheduled about three years from now, it will need to strengthen the party structure till then. Parties’ survival depends more on organisational structure than just the legislative figures.  

 

The party will also need to seriously introspect as to why its only sitting Lok Sabha MP from Jalandhar, Sushil Kumar Rinku, switched over to the BJP, despite having been fielded by the party and knowing well that the AAP was going to be in power in the state for at least next three years. 

 

The AAP, which started nominating the candidates with a big bang by fielding five sitting ministers in the first list, has not been able to maintain that robust momentum. It has struggled to find candidates in Punjab, where it has an overwhelming three-fourths majority in the state legislature with 91 members in a house of 117. It had 92, but one legislator Sheetal Angural defected to the BJP last month. 

 

Despite such numerical strength in the assembly, the AAP will need to work pretty hard to retain some lead in the General Elections.