Explained: Here are 5 reasons why the AAP swept Punjab

Punjab Assembly Election Results 2022: The message that reverberated across the state was that the voters have seen the two big parties rule for 70 years, but they haven't delivered results. So it is time to give a chance to another party.

Aam Aadmi Party members celebrate after Punjab Elections results on Thursday.

The Aam Aadmi Party has swept Punjab, garnering over 90 seats, the best-ever performance by any party in the state. Here are the five reasons why it conquered the two traditional parties of Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal that have ruled the state for the last seven decades

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1. The clamour for change

In Punjab, power has traditionally alternated between the SAD, which had a 24-year-long partnership with the BJP from 1997 to 2021, and Congress, with the former winning in 2007 and 2012.

The Captain Amarinder Singh-led government in the state was accused of being in cahoots with the Akalis due to its soft-pedalling on charges against the Badals, leading to the perception on the ground that the Congress and Akalis were two sides of the same coin. This time, people across Punjab, Malwa in particular, voted for a change. The message that reverberated across the state was that the voters have seen the two big parties rule for 70 years, but they haven’t delivered results. So it is time to give a chance to another party. The AAP slogan “Is baar na khaawaange dhokha, Bhagwant Maan te Kejriwal nu dewaange mauka (We won’t get fooled this time, will give a chance to Bhagwant Mann and Kejriwal)” resonated across the state as people were fed up with the status quo and falling income levels.

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2. The Delhi Model

AAP supremo and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal struck an immediate chord with voters because of the four pillars of his Delhi model of governance – quality government education, health, power and water at cheap rates. A state that had been coughing up inordinately high rates for power, and where health and education are mostly privatised, immediately warmed up to his model.

3. Youth and women

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AAP got a groundswell of support from the youth and women voters who wanted to give a new party and the ‘aam aadmi’ a chance. Kejriwal’s promise of rooting out corruption, endemic in the state, resonated with youngsters keen to “change the system” and ring in a new regime that would give a fillip to education and employment. Similarly, AAP’s promise of depositing a sum of Rs 1,000 per month into the accounts of women in the state did endear him to this section even though many admitted that such populist promises are usually made to be broken. But the fact that he wooed women as a separate vote bank and not just as an extension of their fathers or husbands struck a chord in the highly patriarchal state.

4. Bhagwant Mann as the CM face

The announcement of Bhagwant Mann as the chief ministerial candidate helped the party get rid of the outsider tag that its rivals had given it. Mann, the popular comedian who had made a place in the heart of many Punjabis with his political and social satire, is unlike any traditional politician with a squeaky clean, son-of-the-soil image. And he made sure he rubbed it in when he recounted how he lived in a rented house and how his net worth had been falling with every successive election.

AAP workers celebrate in Bathinda. (Express Photo: Gurmeet Singh)

5. The farm agitation and Malwa

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The more than a year-long farm agitation that forced the central government to repeal the three contentious farm laws prepared the ground for a change of government by breaking the ‘dharra’ system (faction) that determined the poll outcomes in the past.

Joginder Singh Ugrahan, president of BKU (Ugrahan), the largest union of the state with a wide following in Malwa region with 69 assembly seats, said it gave rise to a questioning voter, who started asking leaders why they couldn’t see beyond lanes and drains even 70 years after independence. AAP appeared to have an answer to these questions.

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Manraj Grewal Sharma

Manraj Grewal Sharma is a senior journalist and the Resident Editor of The Indian Express in Chandigarh, where she leads the newspaper’s coverage of north India’s most politically and institutionally significant regions. From Punjab and Haryana to Himachal Pradesh and the Union Territory of Chandigarh, she oversees reporting at the intersection of governance, law, politics and society. She also reports on the diaspora, especially in Canada and the US. With a career spanning journalism across several countries, academia and international development, Manraj brings a rare depth of perspective to regional reporting. She is widely regarded as a leading chronicler of Punjab’s contemporary history and socio-political evolution, particularly its long shadow of militancy, federal tensions and identity politics. Her book, Dreams after Darkness, remains a definitive account of the militancy years and their enduring aftermath. Professional Background & Expertise A gold medalist in mass communication and a post-graduate in English literature, Manraj has a multifaceted career spanning journalism, academia, and international development. She was also awarded a fellowship by National Foundation of India and did several in-depth pieces on Manipur. Internationally, she has reported from Israel, US, UK, Myanmar, and Mauritius Her key focus areas include: Regional Politics, History, Agriculture, Diaspora, and Security. Of late, she has started focusing on Legal & Judicial Affairs: Much of her recent work involves reporting on high-stakes cases in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, ranging from environmental policy to civil rights. International Consulting: She previously served as a consulting editor for the Asia Pacific Adaptation Network and a publishing consultant for the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Manila. Academia: For five years, she was the managing editor of Gender, Technology and Development, a peer-reviewed international journal at the Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent reportage focuses heavily on judicial interventions and regional governance: 1. Environment & Governance "‘NGT can’t test legality of policy’: HC hears challenge to Punjab’s ‘Green Habitat’ plan" (Dec 22, 2025): Covering a critical legal battle over whether the National Green Tribunal has the authority to strike down a state policy regularizing farmhouses on delisted forest land. "High court pulls up Punjab poll panel over audio clip probe" (Dec 10, 2025): Reporting on judicial concerns regarding the transparency and fairness of local body elections. 2. Legal Rights & Social Welfare "HC issues notice to Punjab, Haryana over delay in building old age homes" (Dec 22, 2025): Reporting on a contempt petition against top officials for failing to establish government-run homes for the elderly as promised in 2019. "Victims can appeal acquittals in sessions court without seeking special leave" (Dec 19, 2025): Highlighting a significant procedural shift in criminal law following a Supreme Court ruling. "HC upholds benefits for Punjab FCI officer acquitted in 20-year-old bribery case" (Dec 19, 2025): A report on the concept of "honourable acquittal" and its impact on employee benefits. 3. Human Rights & Identity "As Punjab denies parole to MP Amritpal Singh, HC asks it to submit ‘foundational material’" (Dec 1, 2025): Covering the legal proceedings regarding the radical preacher and sitting MP's request to attend Parliament. "Protecting life paramount: HC backs Muslim woman in live-in after verbal divorce" (Nov 6, 2025): Analyzing judicial protections for personal liberty in the context of traditional practices. Signature Beats Manraj is recognized for her ability to decode complex judicial rulings and relate them to the everyday lives of citizens. Whether it is a 30-year-old land battle in Fazilka or the political implications of Kangana Ranaut’s candidacy in Mandi, her writing provides deep historical and regional context. Contact @grewal_sharma on X manrajgrewalsharma on Instagram ... Read More