AAP's 'jail ka jawab vote se' fails to cut ice with voters as LS success remains elusive

For the third time in a row, AAP only picked up seats in Punjab where three of its candidate won in 2024.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) contested in 22 seats across Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat and Assam in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. However, for the third time in a row, it only picked up seats in Punjab where three of its candidate won in 2024.

Cabinet minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer, AAP chief spokesperson Malvinder Singh Kang and Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal were the three AAP winners from Punjab.

However, it was still a poor show for the party in Punjab, given that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had launched ‘Mission 13-0 (13 seats for the AAP)’ and had refused to tie up with Congress. Mann’s refusal came despite the AAP being a constituent of the INDIA alliance at the national level. The Punjab CM had at least 122 rallies and road shows in the last one month.Delhi disappointment

The AAP struck an alliance with Congress in Delhi and fought on four of the seven parliamentary seats. But it once again failed to open its account in Delhi and replicate the success it has seen at the state level in the general elections.

While the party increased its vote share to 24.14% in 2024 from 18.2% in 2019, it failed to dislodge the BJP MPs in any seat. Even the emotive issue of AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal spending time in jail in the Delhi liquor policy case failed to cut ice with the voters in the national capital.

Kejrwal’s arrest and the Delhi government’s welfare projects were its main poll planks. It even coined the slogan, “jail ka jawab vote se” to get the sympathy votes. In his absence, Kejriwal’s wife Sunita Kejriwal interacted with the people on his behalf.

Also, the AAP-Congress alliance appeared to have failed in most constituencies and was unable to transfer votes between the two parties. The focus was again on free electricity and water, developing schools of eminence and mohalla clinics. However, there may have been a feeling of fatigue among voters as the electorate complained of absentee MLAs and unfulfilled promises of pension to women.

Meanwhile, BJP maintained its track record of 2014 and 2019 when it swept all seven segments in the national capital. Modi factor The AAP had fielded candidates in New Delhi, East, West and South Delhi constituencies.

The Times of India quoted a political science professor as saying that unlike states like UP and Bihar - where the youths are unhappy about not getting government jobs - the problems in Delhi are rather different.

Another observer told TOI that AAP's anti-corruption credentials may have been dented due to the arrest of several top-rung leaders in the liquor policy case.