'Congress has disintegrated; BJP-led alliance won't win a seat in Punjab': AAP fires salvo

Ahead of the Punjab polls due early next year, AAP's state co-in-charge Raghav Chadha rubbished the electoral prospects of the Congress party and the BJP-led alliance. Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Chadha contended that the Congress party in Punjab had disintegrated and cited the ongoing tussle between Navjot Singh Sidhu and CM Charanjit Singh Channi.

Urging people not to waste their vote on Congress, the AAP MLA also predicted that the new front comprising BJP, Punjab Lok Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt) will lose in all 117 seats.

AAP leader Raghav Chadha remarked, "Congress MLAs are leaving Congress. Ministers, chairmen and MLAs who dedicated 40-50 years of their life to Congress are severing their relationship with Congress. This is happening because Congress has disintegrated in Punjab. Congress has no future.

Neither does the Congress party have a future nor can it give any future to Punjab. In Punjab, the Congress party is on the verge of extinction after fighting with each other." 

On this occasion, he added, "BJP is a non-starter in Punjab. Today, I make the prediction that BJP, Captain and Dhindsa alliance will not be able to register a victory on even one out of 117 seats. In Punjab, people will now allow the leaders of the BJP-led alliance to enter their lanes and cities. This is the reality of the politics and the mood of Punjab." 

AAP pins hope on Punjab polls

In the 2017 Punjab Assembly election, Congress won a whopping 77 seats in the 117-member House, whereas Shiromani Akali Dal could win only 18 seats. On the other hand, AAP emerged as the second-largest party with 20 seats and failed to bear fruit as it could win in only 54 constituencies. Arvind Kejriwal has promised 300 units of free electricity, waiver of outstanding electricity bills and uninterrupted round-the-clock electricity if his Aam Aadmi Party wins the 2022 Punjab election.

AAP's other poll plans include free and quality healthcare for all, free medicines, tests and operations, free health cards for all 16,000 Pind clinics, construction of new world-class hospitals, free treatment of all road accident victims and Rs 1,000 monthly payment to every adult woman. 

While AAP is yet to announce its CM candidate, many workers are backing the candidature of Bhagwant Mann for the top post. It is perceived that the formation of PLC party by Captain Amarinder Singh and Sidhu's disgruntlement might have an adverse impact on Congress' poll prospects, giving hope to AAP.