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Having given the party a thumping mandate, the people of Punjab have extraordinarily high expectations from the new AAP government. The party must contend with this burden of hope. Aseething discontent with mainstream parties, and an overwhelming clamour for change has led the Aam Aadmi Party to a historic win in Punjab in only its second assembly election in the state — Bhagwant Mann was sworn in as chief minister on Wednesday. Despite the trappings and left-overs of abundance and prosperity, the land of the Green Revolution and border state has been in the throes of one crisis after another ever since it emerged from the dark decade of militancy in the early 1990s. Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal, alternating in power for the last 70 years, have failed to address the structural distortions and inadequacies that have contributed to the making of the state’s present predicament, preferring instead to paper over them with short-term gestures and interventions with an eye on the next election.
Having given the party a thumping mandate, the people of Punjab have extraordinarily high expectations from the new AAP government. The party must contend with this burden of hope. It cannot be politics as usual for the Mann government. But getting Punjab back on track is going to be an arduous and uphill task. The state needs a well thought out roadmap, not a hastily scribbled plan with easy or short-lived gains. While it will be tempting to take the populist route, the government will need to summon the resolve and the wisdom to sidestep it. With a leader who is seen to have a clean image at the helm, the party will need to use all the political capital and space it has achieved by its decisive victory to take the hard measures while taking the people into confidence.
The state needs course correction in a host of areas, from finance to agriculture, industry to education and health. The Green Revolution that brought widespread gains to its fields also sowed the seeds of future discontent as the rates of inputs spiraled, soil health deteriorated and the water table plunged. The farm agitation was born out of this despair. Successive governments spoke of solutions in the run-up to the polls only to dispense with them once they were in power. The government needs to show the way, lend a helping hand, and Punjab’s industrious farmers will do the rest. The state is also in poor fiscal health with a debt of around Rs 3 lakh crore. Economists have demonstrated how plugging revenue leaks across sectors can help address the financial challenge. The unabated flow of drugs is endangering the future and the Mann government will have to battle the powerful forces behind this scourge, set the state onto the path of recovery. It must also shore up education, industry and health infrastructure to stem the exodus of youth from the state. There are no easy solutions. But after a very long time, a government has the trust and support of the people. And for AAP, its performance in Punjab could arguably be a springboard for larger conquests.
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