Why AAP’s political and administrative failures in Punjab indicate need for course correction

Political and administrative anarchy in Punjab should be avoided because not only does the state share a substantial border with Pakistan, but it also has a bloody history of separatist movements. The Aam Aadmi Party, led by Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann, has repeatedly failed to demonstrate control over the administration and political party over the past ten months. Two key ministers had to resign due to corruption allegations, the AAP failed to deliver on several key election promises, law and order situation has reached a new low, and bureaucrats and farmers are staging massive protests against Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. Punjab was the largest and only state Assembly victory for Arvind Kejriwal outside of Delhi. The state of Punjab could have been an important example of AAP governance. However, in an effort to expand the party, the AAP made several poor decisions in Punjab. Kejriwal attempted to exert control over the Punjab administration from Delhi for the first few months, without delegating significant authority to Mann. As he became busier with Gujarat election campaigns, the situation in the state deteriorated. Even though Mann was aware that Punjab lacked a strong leader who was also adept at managing the state’s affairs, he nonetheless became involved in the election campaign. This flagrant strategic paralysis on the part of the Aam Aadmi Party led to a number of political and administrative disasters in Punjab. Lack of leadership and autonomy The centralization model posed one of the greatest challenges for the Aam Aadmi Party in governing Punjab. Arvind Kejriwal, chief minister of Delhi and national convener of the AAP, desired day-to-day participation in the Punjab Assembly election campaign from day one. Before the election, Kejriwal appointed Raghav Chadha as campaign manager to ensure his direct control. Chadha was appointed to the Rajya Sabha and also as the head of an advisory panel whose primary function is to advise Chief Minister Mann following Punjab’s electoral victory. Thus, Kejriwal maintained control over Punjab’s affairs. All of the circumstances contributed to the non-development of grassroots leadership in Punjab. Several AAP leaders and Punja b ministers raised concerns in private conversations about this centralised control. Without Kejriwal’s approval, Maan was unable to take action, according to government sources in Punjab. AAP Punjab unit insiders believe that the Punjab governments were heavily criticised during the Gujarat election campaign because Chief Minister Man was absent and the government was unable to make many important decisions because the Delhi leadership was also campaigning. Populism over considered policy  Since day one, Chief Minister Mann and the Punjab government have made primarily populist and not at all thoughtful policy decisions. While some believe that the initial intention was for the Punjab government and Mann to gain popularity, others believe that the Delhi leadership made these decisions without understanding the state’s ground realities. Mann abruptly decided to remove security from over four people, and the government has yet to disclose whether a threat assessment was conducted prior to this decision. This disastrous decision resulted in the daylight murder of popular Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala. Similarly, leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party and the governments of Delhi and Punjab asserted that they had magical solutions to stubble burning. Since a number of years ago, Delhi’s chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal, has been discussing instantaneous solutions to stop stubble burning. Last year, however, there was no decrease in the number of farm fires during the stubble-burning season. Both Mann and Kejriwal expressed regret to the public. Today, Punjab farmers have been protesting for over a month, demanding loan forgiveness and addressing other concerns. However, the Punjab government of Bhagwant Mann was unable to meet the demands. This has led to repeated and ongoing blockades of toll plazas throughout the state. This is not the first time farmers have protested against the Mann government. Such demonstrations have occurred frequently over the past few months. Before assuming power, the AAP promised permanent solutions to the farmers and received full community support following the farmers’ protest. In actuality, however, the government has done nothing for farmers. Bureaucratic crisis  Recently, the Punjab government was confronted with a massive bureaucratic crisis as Central and Punjab cadre officials decided to take mass leave in protest of alleged arbitrary arrests of officials by the Punjab government’s vigilance department. For instance, the vigilance department has booked senior officials Narinder Singh Dhaliwal and Neelima Singh for alleged corruption links. The officials asserted that the Punjab government had not authorised the project. The issue has been resolved after Mann’s intervention. In terms of bureaucratic control, numerous Punjab government officials and sources have asserted that Delhi is also interfering. Under the condition of anonymity, Punjab government officials asserted that all decisions regarding several major projects are made in the national capital by the Delhi leadership and advisors. The officials raised numerous such concerns with the ministers, who expressed their inability to act. Officials are becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the government’s lack of order and its dependence on Delhi. Political failure  This month, AAP minister of Punjab Fauja Singh Sarari resigned amidst allegations of corruption. A few months ago, another minister, Vijay Singla, resigned for the same reason. Unfortunately, the AAP has not yet taken a firm stance against corruption. As a result of the India Against Corruption movement, the AAP was established. Today, however, a significant portion of Punjab’s leadership believes that some of the leaders are facing pressure for unknown reasons, despite the fact that many other leaders have been charged with corruption. The AAP as a whole failed to take any concrete measures against corruption. Satyendar Jain, a cabinet minister in Delhi, has been incarcerated for several months, but Kejriwal has not removed him from office. Allegations of money laundering have been made against him, but the AAP has cried a witchhunt. This arbitrary and hypocritical stance against corruption is of no assistance to the party. There is a substantial population in Punjab that believes the AAP has failed to demonstrate control over its party and the government. The AAP government in Punjab has not yet implemented their much-touted plan to provide financial assistance to every woman over the age of 18 in the state. The discontent of AAP voters was evident when the party lost the Lok Sabha by-election in Chief Minister Mann’s home district of Sangrur last year. Extremism on the rise In Punjab, political and administrative failures have fuelled extremism and violence. Growing law and order issues and extremism have not been addressed by the AAP government because doing so would be detrimental to their popularity and credibility. A rocket attack on a police station in the Tarn Taran district occurred several months ago, and the separatist group Sikhs for Justice claimed responsibility. In Punjab, two renowned Kabaddi players, Sandeep Singh and Dharmender Singh were murdered. Other killings have also happened. Numerous explosive devices and explosives were discovered across the state. All of these incidents indicate a poor state of law and order, and there is a growing belief that this has a direct relationship with the rise of extremism in the state. For instance, self-proclaimed Sikh preacher Amritpal Singh Sandhu openly demanded Khalistan last month, but the AAP government remained silent. Similarly, Simranjeet Singh Mann’s victory in the Sangrur Lok Sabha constituency indicates that separatist sentiment is once again gaining prominence in Punjab. The AAP must recognise that Punjab is not Delhi, and that it cannot afford poor governance in the absence of strong local leadership in this state. The state of Punjab shares over 450 kilometres of borders with Pakistan, and any increase in extremism or law and order in the state will have a direct impact on India’s internal security. It is common knowledge that Pakistan’s ISI and terrorist organisations are involved with the Khalistani movement. It is alarming that Kejriwal has not yet realised that his party is playing with fire in Punjab. In the absence of an immediate political and administrative control solution in Punjab, India will face a significant threat. The author is a columnist and doctoral research scholar in media and politics. He tweets @sayantan_gh. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent the stand of this publication. Read all the Latest News , Trending News , Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram .