If there is one person transformed by the Punjab polls, it is RAGHAV CHADHA, the suave state in charge for Aam Aadmi Party with a degree from London School of Economics. After weeks of campaigning and months of press conferences, he can not only hurl barbs at his opponents in choicest Punjabi but also break into a jig at will, much to the glee of his audience as he crisscrosses the state. With elections just a week away, MANRAJ GREWAL SHARMA asked him about the challenges before the party that faces a number of charges, including that of diluting its ‘aam aadmi’ identity by fielding turncoats In these elections, AAP represents change, BJP is the Centre, Akalis are the ‘panth, what does Congress represent for you ? This is an election for change, people are yearning for it. In the last five decades, they have seen 26 years of Congress rule and 24 years of Akali dispensation. In these 50 years, while these leaders have amassed massive wealth, the health of Punjab, be it economic, social or cultural, has gone from bad to worse. They see us as hope, ad their only hope. This time they have pledged to vote for us. Even our detractors are saying they will vote for us to give us a chance. But wasn’t there a bigger wave for AAP in 2017 but you could manage only 20 seats. The difference between 2017 and 2022 is that in the last assembly elections, people had not experienced the development in Delhi. We had been in the saddle for only two years. Now people have seen the governance in Delhi, and they want a similar system here. 2017 was our first outing, and the Akali-BJP- Cong combine may have managed to outsmart us. A senior Akali Dal leader has gone on record to say that votes were transferred from BJP-Akali account to Congress because they were in a position to challenge us. Even today, your opponents say you can’t match them in terms of party organisation at the level of polling booths. Today the organisation of AAP in Punjab is on a par or even better than Akali cadres. We have been working very hard on the ground in all the three regions of the state. We have committees in every village, there is a a robust organisation in place now, Also, it’s wise to remember that people don’t vote in the basis of what the booth in charge says or wears, this time people will come out on their own without being asked and press the jharoo button. Former PPCC chief Sunil Jakhar has alleged that you (AAP) are in cahoots with the BJP. Cong says we are the B team of BJP, while the BJP says we are B team of Congress. We are neither of the two. We are the A team of the people. Also, it is appalling that poor Sunil Jakhar has been compelled to retire from electoral politics only because he is from the Hindu community. In their myopic way of looking at the state through the prism of religion and caste, Congress party doesn’t perhaps understand Punjab, Punjabi and Punjabiyat. There’s an apprehension that if AAP comes to power, the government here will be remote controlled by Delhi. This is a nonsensical argument which doesn’t even merit a response. People love Kejriwal, they desperately want to experience his model of governance. Only those parties that are issue-less are making such ridiculous and malicious comments Has Cong decision to make Channi a CM face made your task more challenging? Cong perhaps doesn’t understand how close-knit and secular Punjab is. Punjab has steadfastly refused to get divided on the lines of caste and religion. As for the Dalit vote-bank politics, BSP is a political party born in the state, but in order to practice its Dalit centric politics, it had to shut its shop here and move to UP. Mayawati lost LS polls in Punjab but won in UP. Any attempt to divide the people on caste lines will backfire. This is the land of the gurus who preached “sarbat da bhalla’. No one can divide this land. Women didn’t vote for you in large numbers. Any reasons? We got 20 out of 117 seats, so yes lots of people didn’t vote for us. This time, people will cut aross the lines of gender, caste, community, religion, age and socio-economic status to vote for us. All the traditional polling concepts will be demolished Also, please note that our success rate in Majha is going to be on a par with Malwa if not better. I worked extensively in Majha in the runup to the civic polls and though we didn’t get good results then, we managed to build a robust organisational structure there. What is your model of development for Punjab? The Kejriwal model of governance will be implemented in the state based on its needs, characteristics and condition. The pillars of this model are social security, basic amenities, law and order and prosperity. The two issues that are paramount in Punjab are drugs and unemployment. Both are very challenging. Jobs are a mega issue. We have a blueprint to revive the industry and make job creators. It’s unfortunate that people have left the state in huge numbers for work and are compelled to do jobs that don’t offer life or workplace dignity. Is it true that Kejriwal will build the SYL? SYL is all a propaganda of the opposition, I don’t want to respond to it. What about charges that there was some exchange for seats? Woh rakam abhi tak bani nahin aur woh shakhs abhi tak paida nahin hua jo Kejriwal ko, yaan Raghav Chadha ko kharid sake. Your party has also fielded many turncoats. AAP is a party that welcomes any leader who wants to work for the prosperity of Punjab. There are good people in other parties too and AAP is happy to welcome them. This issue is being created by other parties who have no answer to issues such as lack of good schools power etc. Has the announcement of Bhagwant Mann as the CM face helped the party? Yes, it’s given us a big boost. Using a classic instrument of direct democracy, we asked the people to choose him and they overwhelmingly voted for him. He is the undisputed leader. Who is Raghav Chadha? (Laughs) I am Punjab, I live in Punjab, Punjab lives in me. My mom is a sardarni, my father is a Punjabi Hindu, I am a perfect testament of Punjab’s secularism. I have been doing my political work in the state for close to 14 months now, it’s been a fantastic learning experience. Politics here is very heavy, very volatile, it changes on an hourly basis.
