The high stakes battle in Delhi primarily between the Aam Aadmi Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party is being keenly watched by various political parties in Punjab. Although the Congress really does not have many stakes in Delhi, the way its leaders and cadres are campaigning there aggressively appears to have a Punjab connection and reason. The Congress believes once the AAP’s Delhi citadel falls, Punjab will be relatively easier to wrest from them.
It is not only the Congress, but the AAP, the BJP and the Shiromani Akali Dal are also watching the election result with keen interest. The election result in Delhi will have definite implications for Punjab. No party will remain unaffected.
If the AAP manages to repeat the feat for the fourth time in a row, it will obviously boost its overall confidence. Punjab where it is in power since 2022 will be next in line. Punjab does not have a good record of the incumbent governments returning to power, it happened only once, yet the AAP morale will be boosted despite a lot of anti-incumbency that has already cropped up against the party government there.
The Punjab AAP leadership is also apprehensive that in case the party is unable to form government again in Delhi, there will be greater interference in state affairs. The AAP leadership in Punjab is optimistically looking for the return of the party's government in Delhi as otherwise there will be “too much burden” on Punjab in every manner.
The Congress, which did reasonably well, winning seven of the thirteen parliamentary seats in the 2024 General Elections, is optimistically looking for a comeback in 2027. Although the AAP managed to elect its mayors in all the five municipal corporations where elections were held recently, two in the most controversial manner without having a majority, the Congress performance was not bad either. It has managed to reestablish its roots in the urban areas, where it saw substantial erosion of its support base towards the BJP during the 2024 General Elections.
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Congress leadership from Punjab, supported by its high command has gone all out against the AAP in Delhi. The Punjab leaders appear to have convinced the high command that getting the AAP defeated in Delhi, no matter which party wins, will be in the interest of the party in Punjab.
For the BJP, winning Delhi is a long pending dream, now for 26 years. The BJP was last in power in Delhi in 1999. Delhi assembly appears to be a bad patch for the party that despite being in power at the centre for three terms, it has not been able to dislodge the AAP from there. This time, the party has gone all out and looks quite optimistic.
A possible victory for the BJP in Delhi will nourish its Punjab ambitions. Although the BJP, right now does not have much presence in terms of MLAs or MPs in Punjab, in case it manages to win Delhi, it will hit Punjab with greater energy. Punjabis are known for experimenting and giving chances to those who have not got it so far. AAP is worried that in case it is not able to hold on to Delhi, the BJP’s next stop will be Punjab. BJP has a strong presence in urban areas of Punjab.
Last but not the least, the Shiromani Akali Dal is also watching the elections quite keenly. It is for the first time that it is not participating in the Delhi assembly elections. IN 2020, it had fought a few seats in alliance with the BJP. After the alliance broke down in 2021, the party opted out of the contest this time. It is supporting candidates on an individual basis. But in case the BJP manages to win Delhi, the SAD would be more inclined to go for an alliance with it in Punjab. Otherwise also, it is a widely held belief among the BJP and the SAD cadres and leaders alike that in case the two parties come together once again, it will prove to be a formidable alliance.
It is obvious that the ripples and repercussions of the Delhi assembly elections will be felt in Punjab, but these will not be limited to the ruling AAP alone, but all other major political parties including the Congress, the BJP and the SAD. No wonder that all the three parties contesting in Delhi have a huge number of supporters and campaigners from Punjab.
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