The campaign for the Punjab Assembly elections concluded on Thursday and the three-cornered contest in the State is set for a nail-biting finish on March 11, when votes will be counted.

Though debutant Aam Aadmi Party is considered the dark horse, the Congress, which accelerated its campaign in the last two weeks, appears the strongest contender. The Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP alliance, though fighting anti-incumbency, has tried its best to protect its base in the rural areas of Punjab.

The State’s voters are, however, looking for change. Agrarian distress, unemployment, increasing cases of drug abuse, corruption and high-handedness of those who are close to the powerful have forced the people to look towards an alternative. Demonetisation has further worsened the situation in industrial and farming belts, leaving the youth agitated. Both the AAP and the Congress have promised the voters that they would bring back the glory of Punjab if elected to power.

Rise of the AAP

The Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP, which won four seats in the Lok Sabha elections, is trying to cash in on the anger among the people, particularly the youth. But the party is also cleverly using communally-sensitive issues, such as the desecration of holy texts to reach out to areas other than Malwa. “A year ago in Bargadhi, the Guru Granth Sahib was insulted. Till now, those who were part of it have not been caught...Our government will catch the culprits and punish them in such a way that no one will ever dare attempt it again,” Kejriwal had said in an audio message during the campaign.

This message is core of the AAP’s campaign.

In Majha and Doaba regions, the party’s key campaigners are those who have crossed over from the Akali Dal over the issue of the holy book’s desecration. They accuse the SAD of acting at the behest of ally BJP, and that was why the culprits were never caught. The AAP’s political opponents have been saying that the party is backed by Khalistan separatists. The party’s main handicap is the absence of a chief ministerial face, that it does not have a leader to project as Chief Minister, which is important in a State like Punjab.

Captain as leader

The Congress’s chief ministerial candidate Amarinder Singh had accused Kejriwal of wanting to throw Punjab back to the mayhem and violence that plagued the State during the separatist movement of the 1970s and 1980s. He said inexperienced leaders in the AAP were helping revive terrorism in Punjab. By announcing ‘Captain’ Amarinder as their leader, the Congress believes it can make the most of the anti-incumbency sentiment against the Parkash Singh Badal government. The party, however, has not been able to impress the young voters much.

Rural favourites

Though allegations of corruption have clearly affected the Badals’ campaign, subsidies in agriculture and health sectors still get them supporters in the rural areas. Initiatives such as subsidised power and pump sets for farmers and well-equipped cancer research centres may still make the Akali Dal’s farmer-base think twice before voting for other parties.

Demonetisation

The BJP-led Central government’s decision to demonetise high-value currency, however, plays a major role in alienating voters from the ruling SAD-BJP alliance. The cash-crunch during the crucial rabi sowing has irked farmers. Agriculture labourers, mostly from other States, had to go back as farmers had no money to pay them.

The industrial belt too, where BJP has considerable base, is also unhappy due to rampant job cuts and closing of factories. Traditional industries such as garments, sports goods and surgical equipments have suffered.

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