After Delhi Loss, AAP Shifts Focus to Punjab

Party chief and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is in Punjab at present to attend a 10-day Vipassana meditation camp near Hoshiarpur.

- NEERAJ MOHAN

Having suffered a major setback in the Delhi Assembly elections at the hands of the BJP, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has shifted its focus to safeguarding Punjab—the only state where it remains in power. Though the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections are still two years away, the party has started putting its house in order, with the leadership leaving no stone unturned to keep its voter base intact and ensure that its governance model does not face the same rejection it did in Delhi.

Party chief and former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, along with his wife Sunita, is currently in Punjab to attend a 10-day Vipassana meditation camp at the Dhamma Dhaja Vipassana Centre near Hoshiarpur. Kejriwal had attended a similar retreat in December 2023 amid legal troubles related to the alleged excise policy scam.

A party leader, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that during his state visit, Kejriwal is likely to meet party MLAs and ground-level leaders to discuss the future course of action. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, along with his Cabinet colleagues, will also attend the meeting, which will include an analysis of the party's poor performance in the February 8 Delhi elections. The leaders added that Kejriwal would also gather feedback from Punjab leaders regarding the ground-level strategy for the state.

The AAP swung into action as the 'Delhi model'—with a focus on health and education—that played a crucial role in AAP's Punjab victory in 2022, has now been rejected by voters in the national capital. This has forced the party to rework its strategy for Punjab to counter growing discontent, especially among the farming community.