It contested just one-third of the total seats out of which the party managed to win just 17 seats. (File) It contested just one-third of the total seats out of which the party managed to win just 17 seats. (File)

Months after suffering a defeat in the urban local body elections in Punjab, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is staring at another humiliating defeat in the rural body elections as well.

The main opposition in Vidhan Sabha, AAP managed to win just 17 seats in the entire state till the filing of this report. The party was even behind Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) which managed more seats than AAP in all districts despite the sacrilege row hounding the Badals.

AAP had also failed to file nomination papers for all 354 zila parishad and 2,900 panchayat samiti seats in Punjab due to infighting as probable candidates were divided between two factions led by leader of opposition Harpal Cheema and ousted LOP Sukhpal Singh Khaira. It contested just one-third of the total seats out of which the party managed to win just 17 seats.

Read | Punjab local body election: Congress leading in majority of seats in Zila Parishad, Panchayat Samiti polls

Even as AAP and SAD blamed the ‘muscle power’ used by Congress to win rural local body polls and declared these results as ‘insignificant’, alleging booth capturing and rigging, the results come as a major setback for AAP ahead of the Lok Sabha polls next year. All the 17 seats where AAP won are of panchayat samiti, none of zila parishad (district level body). Sixteen of the 17 seats are from Malwa, one from Majha and none from Doaba (till filing of this report).

Khaira blames ‘Delhi dictatorship’

Speaking to The Indian Express, ousted leader of opposition and MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira blamed ‘Delhi dictatorship’ for the party’s humiliating defeat and said that ‘AAP base in Punjab is getting weak with each passing day’. “Now those people in my party who blindly follow orders from Delhi should see where we are leading to. I am not saying that landslide victory of Congress is any surprise, but AAP performing even worse than Akali Dal is something to really worry about and ponder deeply. People of Punjab do not want someone who takes orders from Delhi. That is what we are fighting for, we are fighting for rights of Punjab and demanding decision making power for AAP Punjab unit. If the party continues to run from Delhi, these results shouldn’t come as any surprise. In fact, I am surprised that we might touch double figure. I had even advised them not to contest these polls but still they went ahead,” said Khaira.

Party had no clue about how many candidates were in fray

The seriousness of the party for these polls can be gauged from the fact that it had no clue how many candidates filed nominations for zila parishad and panchayat samiti elections. Asked for the district wise details of candidates, MS Sidhu, media incharge of party, said, “We did not maintain this data. Decision to contest these polls was taken quite late. We forgot to maintain any record of candidates filing papers in all districts.”

Polls rigged, looted by Congress: LOP Cheema

Commenting on AAP’s poor performance, leader of opposition Harpal Cheema said that Congress government looted these elections using muscle power and official machinery. He said that police, administration and election commission worked in favour of Congress.

In a statement, Cheema said that it is a ‘black spot’ on democracy in Punjab that ‘ruling party unleashed terror’ till counting of votes. He claimed 60 to 70 per cent votes were ‘rejected’ at many booths due to ‘Congress pressure’. He added that real test of Congress will be in Lok Sabha polls 2019.

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