Never has Punjab waited so anxiously for the results of assembly elections in Gujarat. With 92 of its legislators, including its chief minister, and scores of district-level functionaries spending days, if not months, canvassing for AAP in the western state, many in the state polity were heavily invested in it. While the party, a first-timer in the state, may have won five out of 182 states, its Punjab unit is taking pride in the fact that they managed to introduce the party to every nook and cranny in Gujarat. The idea of doing a Bharat jodo of another kind by sending party workers from Punjab to Gujarat was the brainchild of Rajya Sabha MP Sandeep Pathak, who was made the party in charge for Gujarat soon after it swept Punjab. Malwinder Singh Kang, an AAP leader, says Pathak decided to start from the countryside. “He got in touch with the pradhan/mukhiya of every village besides tapping opinion leaders.’’ District-level functionaries of Punjab stepped into Gujarat six months ago and were allotted specific units with one unit comprising 50 villages. It was only later that the 92 MLAs were made in charge of various assembly constituencies. By the time, Raghav Chadha was made co-in charge of Gujarat three months before the polls, the organisational structure was already in place. Chadha held nukkad meetings and road shows. Two months before the polls, Arvind Kejriwal and CM Bhagwant Mann visited almost every seat and held multiple roadshows and rallies where the latter was at his poetic best. Kang says the brief given to the legislators was simple: inform the voter about the pro-people policies of AAP. “Free and quality education, health, and electricity were the three prongs of their message as they went to every village and ward in their constituencies to hold one-on-one meetings,’’ says Kang, who also paid a visit to Gujarat. People want service in the form of governance, and that’s what we promised, says Kang. Closer to the polls, Mann held a press conference brandishing the zero power bills received by consumers back home. AAP leaders spoke about how every Gujarati household of four would save 25000-30,000 a month—this included savings of 5000 a month on electricity and an unemployment allowance of 2000-if Kejriwal was given a mauka. Principal Budh Ram, the legislator from Budhalada, who was given the charge of Patan, says their message resonated, especially in villages. “Some of the villages are at least three decades behind ours,’’ he claimed. Brahm Shankar Jimpa, the minister for revenue and water resources, who was assigned the seat of Vichraji in Mehsana district where he visited over 800 houses besides addressing numerous nukkad sabhas, says what he found most endearing was the patience of the Gujju voters. “Sitting on the floor, they would listen to us in silence without making any interruptions or contesting our claims.’’ Language was an issue in the countryside but Pathak ensured that every leader and worker from Punjab was accompanied by a local volunteer. “They were also given a software for uploading their daily feedback,’’ says Kang. Most MLAs took teams of their own. Ludhiana South MLA Rajinder Pal Kaur Chhina, for instance, took a team of around 10 party functionaries from her constituency to canvass in Unjha, Mehsana district. The legislators say they were received warmly. Principal Budh Ram said he was given a ceremonial “chaadar” by many village heads. Chetan Singh Jourmajra, the health minister, who was assigned the assembly seat of Sabarmati, said some BJP workers did try to intimidate them but locals came to their rescue. “We were at Chanlodia when BJP workers tried to stop us, but a local family took us home and served us tea. I was very touched.’’ He claims people respect the turban. “They also commended us for our humility, some told me that even a Zila Parishad chairman has more airs.’’ Jimpa was happy to note that most voters had heard about Kejriwal and jharoo. The legislators claim they are not disappointed by the results—the party got a vote share of 12.91 percent even though they were hoping to cross 20 percenr. What they are celebrating is the national status the Gujarat polls have given AAP. “We will study the results, we have many possibilities in Gujarat,’’ says Kang. Jimpa says AAP Punjab has helped to prepare the ground for the 2027 polls in Gujarat. “Now people know they have a third alternative. Who know, AAP could well do a Punjab in Gujarat next time,’’ he says.
