AAP’s Punjab Disappointment: Vote Share Matches Congress but Fewer Seats

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) faced a significant setback in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Punjab, signaling a deviation from its historic 2012 mandate. Despite a matching vote share of around 26% with the Congress, which secured seven seats, the AAP managed to clinch only three constituencies – Sangrur, Hoshiarpur, and Anandpur Sahib. This outcome falls considerably short of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s ambitious target of securing all 13 seats, marking a notable contrast to its dominant performance in the 2022 state assembly polls, where it won 92 out of 117 seats.

The defeat in Punjab reflects a broader decline in AAP’s influence, as nine sitting MLAs, including five cabinet ministers, failed to retain their seats. Although the party’s vote share matches that of the Congress, the disparity in seat allocation highlights AAP’s inability to capitalize on its electoral support effectively. The Sangrur victory, however, stands out as a silver lining amidst the electoral setback, signaling a remarkable achievement against the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar).

AAP’s underperformance in Punjab underscores challenges related to grassroots organization and MLA engagement, according to Professor Jagrup Singh Sekhon. Despite delivering promises such as free power and job creation, AAP struggled to address critical issues like drug abuse and law enforcement, which initially propelled its ascent in 2022. The party’s campaign, led by Mann and Kejriwal, aimed to leverage local connections and governance achievements but ultimately fell short in translating popularity into electoral gains.