Shakeel Ahmad: AAP is not a political force in Punjab

Rejecting the possibility of a debacle in the upcoming Punjab assembly elections, Congress general secretary Shakeel Ahmad said, “We will win comfortably in January 2017.” In conversation with Newslaundry, the man in charge of his party’s Punjab affairs said that anti-incumbency will work against the governing coalition of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). However, he accepted that newcomers Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will cut into these votes, reducing the Congress Party’s vote share.

According to the Cvoter survey, AAP is the most popular choice in Punjab but lacks a face for the election, which might upset its prospects. Ahmad confirmed that former Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh will be the Congress’s face in the elections.

Ahmad also said that AAP is not a political force in Punjab but a product of “media hype”. The party has not only lost two bypolls since the 2014 general elections, their candidates also lost their security deposit, the former union minister pointed out. Two more by-elections followed and AAP opted not to field their candidates, as the results would have “exposed” their position in the state.

Congress, said Ahmad, is going to “handle the agriculture issue with utmost care”. Providing financial assistance at lower interest rates, at least to small-scale farmers, is the party’s priority. According to the 60-year-old, Captain Amarinder has already addressed the drug menace, a major issue in Punjab, saying he will tackle it within four weeks of coming to power by ending the nexus between drug dealers, police and politicians. The party has also planned to “indicate candidates much in advance” so that they can focus on their respective constituencies.

Responding to need of “surgery in the Congress” as suggested by Digvijay Singh, Ahmad said “each and every Congressman is convinced that it (surgery) is not (required) at the level of Congress President and VP.”

Watch the complete interview here: