Basically, AAP needs to propose something truly new, something fresh.

Recently the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) dissolved its state core committee and all wings. A new organisation will soon be announced. Sadly, AAP has revamped so many times in Punjab that now its exercise does not even make news. If it were not so futile, it would be comical.

Bhagwant Mann though continues to be state in charge of AAP. Yet, the exercise shows us how in politics, time is really quick. It was as if yesterday that Congress had won in 2017 after a marathon campaign by AAP and Congress and later Akali Dal plus Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

At that time, given Captain Amarinder Singh’s electoral promises, the vibe was of huge expectation from the Congress. Now, 2022 is hardly one and a half year away and sadly no one has much to sing about.

The 2015 and later sacrilege issues are still bouncing between Special Investigative Teams and Central Bureau of Investigation, the farming crises is aggravated by the BJP’s recent Ordinances, there is no real check on drugs – recently there has been a gory hooch tragedy. What exactly has the Congress delivered?

Yet, as the pandemic keeps spreading, the chief minister writes letters in newspapers claiming to have fulfilled a huge percentage of the party’s promise to the state. It all seems to be an exercise in futility.

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has not yet recovered from the rout in 2017. Like AAP, it carries on with the same leadership, here Sukhbir Badal instead of Bhagwant Mann. With Bikram Singh Majithia holding the reins, neither has its way of functioning changed.

SAD faced rebellion by long time party worker and leader Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa who has gone ahead and formed his own party that he claims is original Akali Dal. Earlier, former Akalis Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, Rattan Singh Ajnala and Sewa Singh Sekhwan broke away from SAD and formed Shiromani Akali Dal (Taksali).

One of the prominent faces of AAP in 2017, later leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Sukhpal Singh Khaira has already floated his own Punjab Ekta Party. He has been silent for a while and is now raising issues, especially of misuse of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. Another leader doing that is former AAP MP, later suspended from party, and founder of earlier Punjab Front and now Nawan Punjab Party Dr Dharamvira Gandhi.

Navjot Singh Sidhu, former BJP leader, Aawaaz-e-Punjab founder who later merged with Congress along with Pargat Singh has now been out of action for a while. The Bains brothers and Sidhu are not accustomed to stay silent for long and one wonders what must be cooking.

There is an overhanging question on Punjab – will BJP break with SAD and take a shot at elections alone? No one knows the answer to it but until now for over a quarter century, the party has maintained an alliance.

One clue to the answer lies in the mushrooming of all these small parties in Punjab. If BJP strikes alliances with them, it could walk out on SAD. Given its money power and control of central resources, that is not unlikely.

Meanwhile, AAP on which at one time many people’s hopes rested needs to really learn its lessons.

The first lesson in Punjab is that Mann is latching on to the top of the state pecking order just like Kejriwal has latched on to the top of the national party structure.

The second lesson AAP Punjab needs to learn is to distinguish itself from the central party. Kejriwal and AAP’s role post elections in Delhi, during the anti-CAA agitations and anti-Muslim pogrom, has not earned him any followers in Punjab. In fact, many more people feel betrayed.

The rumour that AAP is a B party seems confirmed. How will the state unit handle this question?

Third, what does AAP in Punjab propose right from the river water issues to the agrarian distress? For the moment keep aside industry, education, health services and employment.

In part, lack of the state unit’s clarity because of its central command’s interference will continue to haunt the party in the state.

Basically, AAP needs to propose something truly new, something fresh. Everyone knows Akalis and Congress are the same. The question is: how are you different?

In politics, time is indeed cyclical. This time seems no different from last time.