Ruchika M Khanna
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, April 21
With the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) making inroads into the crucial Malwa region of Punjab, political parties are now redrawing their campaign strategies to ensure a win at the hustings.
The Aam Aadmi Party seems to have a good following in Malwa. Significantly, seven of the 13 Lok Sabha constituencies- Fatehgarh Sahib, Patiala, Sangrur, Bathinda, Faridkot, Ferozepur and Ludhiana- are in this region. With AAP eating into the traditional vote bank of the Congress and the SAD, these parties have been forced to change their poll strategies.
A survey conducted by the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) to assess the impact of AAP in Punjab, turned out to be an eye-opener for the party that had dismissed AAP as a fledgling outfit. Sources say the survey showed that AAP was likely to get a 15 per cent vote share in the Lok Sabha elections with the anti -incumbency votes going to AAP.
Surveys by other agencies show AAP getting 13 per cent-15 per cent votes in the state. While the Akalis claim that the anti- incumbency sentiment against the Congress-led UPA Government will translate into votes for AAP, Congress leaders in the fray maintain that the anti-incumbency sentiment against the SAD-BJP Government in Punjab will work in their favour.
During the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, the SAD- BJP vote share in Punjab was 43.91 per cent (SAD’s vote share was 33.85%). The Congress had secured 45. 23 per cent votes.
As campaigning reaches a feverish pitch, it is evident that both parties are losing their vote share to AAP. If in Patiala, AAP is eating into the Congress votes, in Bathinda AAP candidate is hurting the prospects of the SAD candidate. In Sangrur, AAP's Bhagwant Mann is eating into the Congress as well as the SAD vote share. In Ludhiana, AAP candidate HS Phoolka is taking away the Akali vote share.
Sukhbir Singh Badal, SAD president has now reportedly decided to focus on micro management to ensure that his party does well in Malwa. With nine days left for campaigning coming to an end, Sukhbir will be canvassing aggressively in the Malwa belt.
Party’s chief patron and Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal will be throwing his weight behind the party candidates in the Majha and Doaba regions.
Problem areas for SAD
- In Patiala, AAP is eating into the Congress vote share
- In Bathinda, AAP candidate is hurting the prospects of the SAD candidate
- In Sangrur, AAP’s Bhagwant Mann is eating into the Cong and SAD votes
- In Ludhiana, HS Phoolka is taking away the Akali vote share
Source Link: http://www.tribuneindia.com
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