The victory of Aam Aadmi Party on Ludhiana West seat has definitely infused a new energy in Punjab politics, but will the party be successful in the 2027 assembly elections in the same rhythm? AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said after this victory that the party can win more than 100 seats in the assembly polls. But with this claim, many questions have also arisen. Does the victory of Ludhiana represent the whole of Punjab? Can Congress and BJP come back stronger again?
When Aam Aadmi Party formed the government in Punjab with a majority in 2022, the Congress was struggling with internal strife and leadership crisis. The alliance of Akali Dal and BJP was also scattered. AAP got the benefit of this political vacuum. But after running the government for three years, now the party can face the challenge of anti-incumbency. Although Kejriwal considers it pro-incumbency, but the ground report says something else.
Factionalism still persists in Congress
Congress candidate Bharat Bhushan Ashu lost in Ludhiana by-election. He took responsibility for the defeat but also raised questions on the state leadership. Ashu says that Congress President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring and Leader of Opposition Pratap Bajwa kept away from the election campaign, whereas they should have come. It is clear from this factionalism that there is still a lack of unity in the Congress, which can also harm the party in 2027.
If we look at the figures, Ashu had to face defeat from Sanjeev Arora by 10,637 votes this time, whereas last time this difference was 7,512. BJP candidate Jeevan Gupta got 20,323 votes, which is just 4 thousand less than Ashu. These are indications that the contest can become triangular and it will not be easy for any party to cross 100.
Both Cong and BJP are trying to strengthen themselves
There is confidence in Kejriwal's claim, but the ground reality is that Punjab politics is very complex. The formula that works in Delhi does not work in Punjab. The caste and regional equations here are different. Both Congress and BJP are trying to strengthen themselves by 2027. In such a situation, it would be too early for any party to claim '100 plus'.