IN 2017, as AAP made its debut in Punjab it won 20 out 111 Assembly seats it contested. Between 2017 and 2022, 11 AAP MLAs deserted the party leaving it will only 11 sitting MLAs ahead of the February 20 polls. Out of these 11, just 10 have entered the contest once again on AAP ticket. Interestingly, 18 out of 20 AAP MLAs were from Malwa and two from Doaba region of the state. Further, out of these 20 seats, eight were won by Dalit AAP candidates fighting on reserved seats. The 11 who stayed back are now busy hardselling AAP’s ‘Delhi model’ and promising ‘Rangla Punjab’. THE ENCORE SEATS TALWANDI SABO Balwinder Kaur, AAP's national executive member and sitting MLA from Talwandi Sabo, is re-contesting from the area. In 2015, she had come into politics for the first time after quitting her job as a college lecturer. In the area she is popular as 'professor Balwinder Kaur'. Talwandi Sabo seat was won by Congress's Jeet Mohinder Singh in 2012 but Singh had joined SAD in 2015 due to which a bypoll was necessitated. Balwinder Kaur had lost her security deposit in this bypoll. But in 2017 Assembly poll, she had defeated the same Sidhu by over 20,000 votes. "She got married to a person from Amritsar in 2019 and after that she hardly visited the constituency. She stayed in Amritsar or Chandigarh. Residents were angry with her but as the campaign is picking up, she is once again getting support. People have a short memory but other candidates are also strong, so it is a tough fight," said Ranjit Singh, a Talwandi Sabo resident. She is pitted against Jeet Mohinder from SAD and Khushbaz Jatana from Congress. KOTKAPURA Kultar Singh Sandhwan is sitting AAP MLA from Kotkapura constituency of Faridkot district and also president of Kisan wing of the party. Sandhwan said, "Being in opposition, we have to create pressure on government and I asked the maximum questions in Vidhan Sabha. Got many roads constructed, kept on taking up issues of masses and was always there for farmers, residents of the area. This time we are going to win for sure. So , the first thing which we will work upon to improve condition of Faridkot medical college, to have better health care facilities in the district, have mohalla clinics and sub-secretariats in the constituency so that there is no need to visit Chandigarh for work." “Sandhwan is getting good response. He was a frequent visitor to farmers' protest dharnas and to Behbal Kalan pakka dharna," said Gurinder Singh, a Kotkapura resident. DIRBA Leader of Opposition Harpal Singh Cheema is sitting MLA of Dirba constituency in Sangrur district. Cheema is recontesting from this reserved constituency. He said, "Public response has increased after CM face was declared." A supporter added: “This time people are connected to the grassroots. It seems we will form government as people are looking for change." SUNAM Aman Arora, again a sitting MLA from Sunam, is contesting again from the same seat. An old Congressman, Arora had joined AAP in 2016 while in 2007 and 2012 he had unsuccessfully contested from Sunam on a Congress ticket. His father, Bhagwan Das, though had remained Congress MLA from Sunam twice and a minister as well. Arora therefore comes from a political family with years of experience. He was the co-convener of the party but he had resigned in March 2019 after Kejriwal had tendered his apology to Majithia. "Not much can be said about development in this area but people believe that Aman Arora was in opposition and hence nothing much was expected from him,” said a local resident. He is now pitted against Congress's Jaswinder Singh Dhiman against whom there is widespread discontent within the party and their constituency incharge Daaman Thind Bajwa has recently joined BJP after she was denied ticket by Congress. MEHAL KALAN Mehal Kalan is a reserved constituency where sitting MLA Kulwant Singh Pandori is contesting yet again. A rural constituency where Bhagwant Mann is doing many poll rallies as it is adjacent to CM Charanjit Singh Channi's constituency Bhadaur. Mann in his speeches stresses on improving quality of education and health in the area on lines of Delhi and raises AAP’s 'Rangla Punjab' slogan. Pandori is contesting against Congress's Harchand Kaur and the latter is facing lot of opposition from her own party workers. BARNALA In Barnala, Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer is the sitting AAP MLA. He enjoys good support in the area and is in the fray again. In 2017, all the three constituencies of Barnala district had elected AAP candidates. “But you never know where the wave can go in the coming days," said Narian Dutt, an activist of Barnala. BUDHLADA Sitting MLA Principal Budh Ram is contesting from Budhlada reserved constituency where a surgeon Dr Nishan Singh is fight on SAD ticket, while Raminder Kaur Mian a first-timer from Congress. "Budh Ram wasn't popular for any significant work in the area,” said Ahrtiya Jatinder Kumar Bansal from Bareta. He added: “So far Budh Ram hasn't brought any big project in the area as we are struggling due to pollution in Ghaggar river which passes from the area. However, people of the area do understand that being in opposition, you can't do much except for raising issues in Assembly or staging protests. However, he is very soft spoken and meets people often. This time his slogan 'Ek mauka AAP nu' is it attracting the masses even as they recall the party’s old slogan ‘Ek mauka Kejriwal nu’. GARSHANKAR Garshankar MLA Jai Kishan Rodi had won from Doaba area in 2017. He is fighting again and talking about ‘Ek Mauka AAP Nu’ to woo voters. SAD has fielded Bhullewal Rathan and Congress candidate is Amarpreet Lally from the seat. NIHAL SINGH WALA Manjit Singh Bilaspur won from a reserved seat Nihal Singh Wala in Moga district. He too is pitching the AAP’s Delhi model. SAD candidate from the seats is Baldev Singh Manuke, an ex-serviceman. Bhupinder Singh Sahoke, a former Punjab police cop and an ex-Akali Dal leader, has been given the Congress ticket. JAGRAON Saravjit Kaur Manuke won from Jagraon, a reserved seat, in 2017. She remained party’s deputy leader in Assembly and is in the fray again. “She wasn't active in the area, though we have seen AAP's participation in protests and dharnas outside Assembly. Her campaign picked up after Congress fielded Jagtar Singh Jagga Hissowal. Hissowal had won on AAP ticket from Raikot constituency but he had joined Congress in November last year. “AAP is leading a campaign calling him a traitor and that he comes from a different area. Let's see how things move ahead." said Joginder Singh, a Jagraon resident. THE ONE LEFT OUT RUPNAGAR Rupnagar constituency was won by AAP’s Amarjit Singh Sandoa from AAP in 2017. Then in March 2019, ahead of Lok Sabha polls, he joined Congress but came back to AAP in December 2020 and withdrew his resignation. He hasn't been given ticket this time, but he isn't happy with the choice of candidate. RTI activist Dinesh Chadha is the AAP nominee. Sandoa is said to be sulking. THE ‘FALLOUT’ SEATS BHADAUR In Bhadaur, Peermal Singh Dhaula had won as an AAP candidate. A popular leader in the area and known for his simplicity, he joined Congress in June last year. He is not contesting from the seat this time, where CM Charanjit Singh Channi is the Congress candidate. Dhaula is campaigning for him. BHOLATH Sukhpal Singh Khaira, who was once a Congress MLA, had been elected from Bholath in 2017 on an AAP ticket. This was the second seat in Doaba from where AAP had won. He was chosen as the Leader of Opposition to start with, but in July 2018, he was removed by AAP as Leader of Opposition in an unceremonious manner and later suspended for anti-party activities. In January, 2019 he left AAP and later rejoined Congress. He is now contesting from Bholath on a Congress ticket. RAIKOT Jagtar Singh Jagga Hissowal had won on AAP ticket from reserved constituency Raikot, but he joined Congress in November, 2021. He is now contesting on Congress ticket from Jagraon constituency of Ludhiana district. JAITU Master Baldev Singh had won from SC seat Jaitu in Faridkot constituency, but he left AAP after Charanjit Channi government came into power. BATHINDA RURAL Rupinder Kaur Ruby won from Bathinda Rural defeating SAD's Amit Rattan Kotfatta. Ruby switched to Congress in November last year and is now contesting from Malaut in Muktsar on Congress ticket. Kotfatta, meanwhile, joined AAP and is now contesting from Bathinda Rural on AAP ticket. MAUR Jagdev Singh Kamalu had won from AAP ticket from Maur constituency where a bomb blast had happened just four days before 2017 polls killing seven persons, including five children. Kamalu too had joined Congress in June last year, but is not contesting from any seat. MANSA Nazar Singh Manshahia was AAP MLA from Mansa. But in April, 2019 when campaign for Lok Sabha polls was on, he had joined Congress. However, he wasn't given any ticket by Congress. Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala has been given ticket which has miffed Manshahia. KHARAR Kanwar Sandhu was elected from Kharar but he was suspended by AAP in 2018 for anti-party activities. He had announced in the past that he will not be contesting any election in the future. Punjabi artist Anmol Gagan Mann is the AAP candidate from this constituency now. DAKHA Senior lawyer Harvinder Singh Phoolka was elected from Dakha constituency of Ludhiana in 2017. In October 2018, he had resigned over failure of Punjab government to act on Justice Ranjit Singh commission's inquiry report on sacrilege incidents. His resignation was accepted in August 2019. A bypoll happened in Dakha where SAD's Manpreet Singh Ayali won. AAP has fielded KNS Kang from the seat.
