Aam Aadmi Party, Punjab

The Aam Aadmi Party Punjab or AAP Punjab is the Punjab state wing of Aam Aadmi Party and a recognised State party in Punjab. Currently, it is the governing party in the Punjab Legislative Assembly and has significant representation of the state in Rajya Sabha.

Aam Aadmi Party, Punjab
AbbreviationAAP
LeaderBhagwant Mann
(CM of Punjab)
HeadquartersChandigarh
Student wingChhatra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti (CYSS)
Youth wingAAP Youth Wing (AYW)[1]
Women's wingAAP Mahila Shakti (AMS)[2]
Labour wingShramik Vikas Sangathan (SVS)
IdeologyPunjabiyat
Secularism
Socialism
Developmentalism
Colours  Blue
ECI StatusNational Party[3]
Seats in Lok Sabha
1 / 13
Seats in Rajya Sabha
7 / 7
Seats in Punjab Legislative Assembly
91 / 117
Election symbol
Broom
Website
aamaadmiparty.org

The AAP fielded 434 candidates in the 2014 Indian general election. In its debut in Punjab, four AAP candidates from Punjab won the election out of 13. Consequently, the AAP became a recognised state party in Punjab.[4][5]

In the 2017 Punjab assembly election, the party formed an alliance with the Lok Insaaf Party giving it five seats.[6] No CM candidate was declared before the elections.[7] This AAP Alliance won 22 seats in total, two of which were won by the Lok Insaaf Party.[8] AAP won 20 seats in the Punjab Assembly in its debut in the 2017 Punjab elections.

The AAP contested on all 117 seats in the 2022 Punjab Legislative Assembly election and won 92 seats, giving it a large majority. AAP MP Bhagwant Mann became the Chief Minister of Punjab.

2022 Rajya Sabha election edit

Former cricketer Harbhajan Singh, IIT professor Sandeep Pathak, educationist Ashok Kumar Mittal, industrialist Sanjeev Arora and Delhi MLA Raghav Chadha were nominated by AAP for a six year term in Rajya Sabha starting 2022.[9][10] All five of them were elected unopposed.[11]

2022 Punjab Legislative Assembly election edit

In January 2021 Arvind Kejriwal announced that AAP would be contesting in 2022 Punjab Legislative Assembly election.[12] Raghav Chadha was appointed AAP Punjab co-in-charge for the Punjab election.[13] On 18 January 2022 Bhagwant Mann was chosen as AAP's candidate for the post of Chief Minister of Punjab for the 2022 Punjab Legislative Assembly election. The selection was done by polling from the public.[14] AAP did not have any alliance partner in this election.

In March 2021, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal held a Kisaan Mahapanchayat at Bagha Purana in Moga district and began campaigning for elections.[15] On 28 June 2021, Kejriwal announced in a speech in Chandigarh that 300 units of free electricity would be provided to all Punjabis if the party wins the election.[16] On 30 September 2021, Kejriwal also announced that if AAP wins the election, his government would build Mohalla Clinics in Punjab that would provide free healthcare facilities.[17] On 22 November 2021, Arvind Kejriwal announced that if AAP wins Punjab then 1,000 rupees will be given to every women above 18 years of age.[18] In the 2022 elections AAP registered a landslide victory.[19] AAP contested on all 117 seats in the 2022 Punjab Legislative Assembly election and won 92 seats, giving it a large majority. AAP MP Bhagwant Mann became the CM of Punjab.[20]

Candidates edit

CM candidate Bhagwant Mann contested from the Dhuri Assembly Constituency.[21] Below is the full list of AAP candidates with the successful candidates marked in blue. [21]

Leader in Legislative Houses edit

House Leader Portrait Elected constituency
Constituency State
Punjab Legislative Assembly Bhagwant Mann Dhuri Punjab

2017 Punjab Legislative Assembly election edit

In December 2015, Aam Aadmi Party declared that it would contest the 2017 Punjab Legislative Assembly election.[22] AAP which did not participate in the 2012 assembly election, but had fought 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Their 2014 General election performance translates to 33 assembly seats out of 117.[23]

Alliance Partners edit

In the 2017 Punjab assembly election, the party formed a coalition with the Lok Insaaf Party and gave it five seats to contest.[6] No CM candidate was declared before the elections.[7] This alliance was called the AAP Alliance and was represented on news channels as AAP+. The alliance won 22 seats in total, two of which were won by the Lok Insaaf Party.[8] AAP won 20 seats in the Punjab Assembly in its debut in the 2017 Punjab elections. In March 2018, the Lok Insaaf Party broke the coalition due to differences.[24]

List of winning candidates and runner up candidates edit

Leader in Legislative House (2017-2022) edit

House Leader Portrait Elected constituency
Constituency State
Punjab Legislative Assembly Harpal Singh Cheema Dirba Punjab

General election, 2014 edit

The AAP fielded 434 candidates in the 2014 Indian general election, in which it did not expect to do well. It recognised that its support was based primarily in urban areas and that different strategies might be required for different regions of the country. The party pointed out that its funding was limited and that there were too many demands for local visits from Kejriwal. The intention was to field candidates in large numbers to maximise the likelihood of recognition as a national party by the Election Commission.[26][27] The outcome was that four AAP candidates won, all from Punjab.[28] Consequently, the AAP became a recognised state party in Punjab.[29]

Elected MPs edit

No. Constituency Turnout% Name of elected M.P. Party affiliation Margin
8 Fatehgarh Sahib(SC) 73.81   Harinder Singh Khalsa Aam Aadmi Party 54,144
9 Faridkot(SC) 70.95   Sadhu Singh 1,72,516
12 Sangrur 77.21   Bhagwant Mann 2,11,721
13 Patiala 70.94   Dharam Vira Gandhi 20,942

Organisation edit

Convener edit

Convener (or chief/president) is a highest political post in the Punjab unit of Aam Aadmi Party, holds responsibilities for the success of Party in Punjab.

After 2014 Indian general election in Punjab on 29 August 2014, Sucha Singh Chhotepur was appointed as first convener[30] of Aam Aadmi Party's Punjab unit. He served till 24 August 2016.[31] After him Gurpreet Singh Waraich appointed the new convener.[32]

In 2017 Punjab Legislative Assembly election party performed less than the expectations and got 20 seats in Punjab Legislative Assembly.[33] Due to this he was removed from the post and Bhagwant Mann appointed as new convener along with Aman Arora.[34][35] They resigned from the post on 17 March 2018 due to the apology by Arvind Kejriwal to Bikram Singh Majithia.[36] After Maan and Arora's resignation Balbir Singh was appointed co-convener (caretaker) of Punjab's unit on 21 March 2018.[37]

On 31 January 2019 before General election Maan was appointed as the Punjab conveneger.[38]

List of Conveners edit

S. No. Name Portrait Tenure Co-convener National Convener
1 Sucha Singh Chhotepur   29 August 2014 24 August 2016 None Arvind Kejriwal (2012-present)
2 Gurpreet Singh Waraich   4 September 2016 8 May 2017
3 Bhagwant Singh Mann 10 May 2017 17 March 2018 Aman Arora
- Balbir Singh (caretaker) N/A 21 March 2018 31 January 2019 Himself
(3) Bhagwant Singh Mann 31 January 2019 Incumbent Aman Arora

Legislative Party leader edit

Legislative Party leader is a person who leads the elected members of the party in Punjab Legislative Assembly. On 11 March 2022, Bhagwant Mann was elected as the leader of the AAP legislative party.[39]

No. Name
(constituency)
Portrait Tenure Other designation Assembly
1 Harvinder Singh Phoolka
(Dakha)
  16 March 2017 9 July 2017 Leader of Opposition 15th
2 Sukhpal Singh Khaira
(Bholath)
9 July 2017 26 July 2018
3 Harpal Singh Cheema
(Dirba)
27 July 2018 11 March 2022
4 Bhagwant Mann
(Dhuri)
  11 March 2022 Incumbent Chief Minister 16th

Deputy leader

No. Name
(constituency)
Portrait Tenure Other designation Assembly
1 Saravjit Kaur Manuke
(Jagraon)
16 March 2017 11 March 2022 None 15th
2 Harpal Singh Cheema
(Dirba)
19 March 2022 Incumbent Minister of Finance 16th

List of Rajya Sabha MPs from Punjab edit

Seat No. Elected MP M.P.s Portrait
1 Harbhajan Singh
 
2 Raghav Chadha
3 Sandeep Pathak
 
4 Ashok Mittal
5 Sanjeev Arora
 
6 Balbir Singh Seechewal
 
7 Vikramjit Singh Sahney

Activities edit

In June 2021, MLA and deputy leader of the opposition in Punjab assembly, Saravjit Kaur Manuke held hunger strike along with AAP activists to protest against the inaction of the Punjab government in the payment of post-matric scholarship amount of Dalit students. AAP convener Bhagwant Mann said that the protest by AAP members had forced the Punjab government then led by CM Amarinder Singh to release the funds amounting to 200 crore as 40% share of the amount that Punjab government had to pay.[40]

See also edit

Notes edit

References edit

  1. ^ Our Bureau. "AAP to launch youth wing on Sept 27". Business Line.
  2. ^ "Richa Pandey Mishra, President, AAP Mahila Shakti". Archived from the original on 5 August 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  3. ^ "AAP sprints to national party status. What will change now?".
  4. ^ AAP eats into SAD and INC vote share in Punjab
  5. ^ "Aam Aadmi Party recognised as state party in Punjab". Deccan Chronicle. 3 June 2014. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
  6. ^ a b "Bains brothers forge alliance with AAP". oneindia.com. 21 November 2016.
  7. ^ a b "Punjab poll results: No CM face, 'radical link' did AAP in". Hindustan Times. 12 March 2017. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  8. ^ a b "High on hype, how AAP got it wrong", The Tribune, 12 March 2017
  9. ^ "AAP's Rajya Sabha List: Ex Cricketer, IIT Professor, Raghav Chadha". NDTV.com. 21 March 2022.
  10. ^ "Ludhiana businessman-philanthropist Sanjeev Arora is AAP's choice for Rajya Sabha". The Indian Express. 21 March 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  11. ^ "All five nominees of AAP from Punjab elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha". newsonair.gov.in. 24 March 2022. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
  12. ^ "AAP to contest polls in 6 states, including Himachal Pradesh, UP, Gujarat". Hindustan Times. 28 January 2021. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
  13. ^ "Punjab: Unhappy over ticket distribution, Raghav Chadha shown black flags". India Today. 8 January 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  14. ^ "Bhagwant Mann's remarkable journey: From comedian 'Jugnu' to AAP CM face". The Indian Express. 19 January 2022. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  15. ^ Sethi, Chitleen K. (29 March 2021). "AAP sounds poll bugle in Punjab, but dissent, leadership crisis cloud 2022 hopes". ThePrint. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  16. ^ Mishra, Ashutosh (28 June 2021). "Arvind Kejriwal says free electricity for all in Punjab if AAP wins 2022 assembly election". India Today. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
  17. ^ "Free treatment, medicines at govt hospitals if AAP voted to power in Punjab: Arvind Kejriwal - Times of India". The Times of India. 1 October 2021. Archived from the original on 1 October 2021. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  18. ^ "Punjab polls: Kejriwal promises Rs 1,000 per month to every woman". The Indian Express. 23 November 2021. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
  19. ^ "Live news coverage from India Today". MSN.
  20. ^ "In 57 seats, AAP saw victory margins between 20k and 75k". The Indian Express. 13 March 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  21. ^ a b "Punjab Election 2022: Complete List of AAP Candidates, Check Names HERE". www.india.com. 21 January 2022. Archived from the original on 22 January 2022. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  22. ^ "AAP to contest in Punjab polls in 2017". Firstpost. 29 December 2015. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
  23. ^ "AAP won 33 of 117 assembly seats". hindustantimes.com/. 18 May 2014. Retrieved 30 December 2016.
  24. ^ "After Kejriwal's apology, Punjab's Lok Insaf Party snaps ties with AAP". Deccan Chronicle. 17 March 2018.
  25. ^ Source: Election Commission of India Archived 18 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  26. ^ "AAP gears for Lok Sabha polls, to contest all seats in Gujarat, Haryana". Indian Express Portal. 28 December 2013. Archived from the original on 4 February 2014. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  27. ^ Kumar, Brajesh (3 April 2014). "Aam Aadmi Party seeks national role, names 426 candidates". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  28. ^ "Constituency-wise Detailed Results – General Elections, 2014 – 16th Lok Sabha (page 258 of 492)" (PDF). Election Commission of India. Archived (PDF) from the original on 23 November 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
  29. ^ "AAP recognised state party in Punjab". Daily News and Analysis. Archived from the original on 23 February 2015. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
  30. ^ YouTube video ABP Sanjha
  31. ^ AAP removes its Punjab convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur after bribe video
  32. ^ "Gurpreet Ghuggi appointed as the punjab state convener of the Aam Aadmi Party". 4 September 2016. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  33. ^ How Kejriwal lost AAP's winning plot in Punjab
  34. ^ Bhagwant Mann and Aman Arora appointed convener of Punjab Aam Admi Party
  35. ^ "Gurpreet Ghuggi quits AAP, questions Mann's appointment as party's Punjab chief". The Economic Times. 10 May 2017. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  36. ^ Bhagwant Mann resigned from AAP Punjab chief
  37. ^ AAP appoints Dr. Balbir Singh aa Punjab Units Co-President
  38. ^ "Lok Sabha Elections 2019: A Year After Exit, Bhagwant Mann Re-Appointed Punjab Aam Aadmi Party Chief". NDTV.com. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  39. ^ ""Spend Time In Your Constituencies, Not...": AAP's Bhagwant Mann To MLAs". NDTV.com. 11 March 2022. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  40. ^ "AAP's dharna forced CM to release funds, says Mann". Tribuneindia News Service. Retrieved 15 March 2022.