Punjab: AAP faces the challenge of fulfilling its election promises

Punjab: The Aam Aadmi Party, which has been in power in the state for almost three years, is facing a tough challenge to deliver on its promises of good governance, public welfare and control over political situations. All this is happening amid a once-resurgent but directionless Congress, a politically fragmented Shiromani Akali Dal and a BJP that has not yet found its footing. While the political situation remains favourable for the AAP to take advantage and prosper, it remains to be seen how the party pollsters, political strategists and politics within the AAP are able to take advantage of this opportunity.

Time is running out
The ruling party has just one year to perform, fulfil all poll promises, ensure law and order, give clear signals of ushering in development through big infrastructure projects and instill the confidence of industrial investors to launch projects in Punjab to help create employment opportunities for the youth. Next year, real politics will take over as elections are announced by the end of 2026. Employment opportunities induced by the right economic environment is a surefire way for the AAP government to fulfil its promise of keeping the youth away from drugs and ensuring that they do not seek greener pastures in foreign shores or the big cities of India. What happens in the Punjab unit of AAP this year will largely depend on the outcome of the Delhi elections in February.

A win in the Delhi elections will mean that the party high command will have limited focus on Punjab and an electoral defeat in Delhi will mean that the party high command will have full focus on Punjab. This, in turn, will change many political equations within the state unit, where frequent cabinet reshuffles and the party’s tight control over its leaders and ministers have upset many state leaders. Either way, whichever way the scales of the party leadership tilt, this year the party will be “battle-ready for 2027” by performing better in rebuilding public education and public health; attracting industrial investors; promoting sports and exploring new ways to revive the state’s agrarian-based economy through the much-awaited agriculture policy. This year will also see the state’s economic revival blueprint prepared by experts appointed to the Punjab Development Council take shape in a practical way.

Rising debt

Since many public-oriented initiatives promised by the state have taken a back seat due to the state’s rising debt burden and the huge gap between income and expenditure, hopes are high that the recommendations made by eminent economists Arbind Modi and Sebastian James, appointed by the state government to advise it on fiscal matters, to plug loopholes in tax collection, critically examine the flow of pensions to unauthorized persons and increase non-tax revenues, will come to fruition and thus help the state generate much-needed revenue.