Punjab Elections: BJP to Face a Crushing Defeat

The Current electoral situation of Punjab seems unpredictable. With the emergence of a new player (Aam Aadmi Party - AAP) in the state, we are seeing a three-sided fight. AAP, Congress and the Akali-BJP alliance are head to head. Despite demonetisation, BJP still garners support in some sections of the urban population. The SAD-BJP alliance declared Parkash Singh Badal as their joint CM candidate. There is Amarinder Singh from Congress. And Arvind Kejriwal from AAP is being projected as their candidate. Other political parties contesting for smaller number of seats include BSP, Apna Punjab Party (APP), the Left - comprising of CPI and CPI(M), and SAD-Amritsar. Prof. Chamanlal, retired professor from JNU, observed that the actual problem in Punjab this time is the increase in the number of peasant suicides and the drug problem induced and aided by huge unemployment. Yet no political party is ready to talk about these two problems. He also observed that while AAP has definitely increased its mass base, but the party’s internal contradictions might put a damper on its chances of winning.