New Delhi: Ever since it swept to power, winning a massive 92 out of the 117 total assembly seats in the 2022 elations, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab has been beset with problems.

Empty coffers, a Bharatiya Janata Party government at the Centre, dissension within its own ranks and deep distrust of the bureaucracy have all added up to what is a big headache to the Bhagwant Singh Mann government. 

However,  the growing influence – most term it interference – of the Delhi leadership ever since the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP lost the elections in Delhi earlier this year has only confounded the problems of the party in Punjab.

Many local AAP leaders, including sitting ministers and MLAs, are not amused with the repeated and regular interventions of Delhi leaders in the Punjab government's affairs.

'Where real power lies'

A sitting AAP MLA spoke to this reporter requesting anonymity. "Ever since they [AAP Delhi leaders] lost in Delhi, they have been camping in Chandigarh, running the state government, often sitting in ministerial bungalows in Sector 39 [Chandigarh]. This is not a happy state of affairs. They have perhaps forgotten that historically Punjabis have never accepted the intervention of the Delhi durbar in their affairs. Today, we have a situation where senior officers, who have managed to get close to these Delhi leaders, are refusing to even meet elected Punjab representatives. They know where the real power lies. The fact that our chief minister, Bhagwant Mann, is allowing this by keeping silent is only empowering these forces,” the MLA said.

This MLA claimed that many other lawmakers like him had complained to the leadership about this concern but to no avail.

“People watch with amusement as Delhi leaders move around in cavalcades, Punjab Police security in tow. In politics, such appearances matter. When the voter thinks every decision is being taken by outsiders, he starts looking at other options. We still have some time to do a course-correction before the 2027 assembly elections. But, whether that will happen or not is anybody’s guess,” this MLA said.

'Our issues are different'

A senior IAS officer, who also requested anonymity, said the growing influence of some AAP functionaries and officials who are close to Kejriwal has also become a bone of contention with local Punjab leaders.

“Every important decision is being cleared by people from Delhi, who have little idea about the issues plaguing Punjab. Take, for example, the recent floods due to incessant rains. Barring some good efforts by locals MLAs and individual ministers, our government was found lacking in its response. These people don’t understand that Punjab is not a city-state like Delhi. Our issues are different, our solutions are different,” a senior IAS officer said.

In the meantime, Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha’s own influence in Punjab has reduced substantially. As a result, officers and leaders considered close to him, many of them holding important positions in the state government, have also been systematically sidelined. While some of them have managed to build newer bridges with the new power centres, most of them remain in a state of oblivion. 

“There is a clear trust-deficit with people. As a result some good officers are being ignored and are simply biding their time. This isn’t a good thing,” said another bureaucrat, requesting anonymity for fear of professional repercussion. This same officer also cited the frequent transfers of and a revolving-door policy for those manning crucial positions as a case in point.

“Nobody is sure of his place or how long he or she will remain in a post. If you look at the number of persons who have headed the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority in the last three-odd years, you will understand what I am saying. Look at the post of the Advocate General [AG]. The current AG, Maninderjit Singh Bedi, is the fourth AG in the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government’s three-year tenure. But, more interestingly, his predecessor, Gurminder Singh, who resigned in March this year, continues to be the lawyer of choice for the Mann government in all important cases,” the officer said.

Fiscal woes abound

Punjab, for decades, was known for its infrastructure; that is now a thing of the past. Experts say acute fiscal problems have forced the government’s hands and many of the development projects have either not taken off or are struck. Several announcements of what were the AAP’s pre-poll promises are also awaiting proper implementation due to poor financial health of the state.

After strong posers by the Punjab and Haryana high court, the Mann government withdrew its controversial land pooling policy in August, leaving it with only the option of selling properties owned by the state's power corporation and available land chunks to generate additional revenue.

“This is not the government of Bhagwant Mann. Gangsters are ruling the roost in Punjab. How long can the government tide over its financial mismanagement by auctioning properties? The state is hurling towards a debt trap. It is almost as if they [the AAP leadership] are just waiting for their term to be over. What happened to their announcement to stop illegal mining? We have given proof of illegal mining happening with the connivance of local officers but no action has been taken. Doesn’t this show that the AAP government is in league with these elements? And, for a party that claim to be stand for transparency and freedom of expression, look at the action initiated by its government to clamp down on independent media that asks uncomfortable questions. Is this the model of governance that Arvind Kejriwal promised to usher in?” asked the leader of the opposition in Punjab assembly and Congress MLA Pratap Singh Bajwa.

With local body elections likely to be held early next year, the AAP leadership is looking at ways to shore up its image. But, even local AAP leaders admit that this will be a big ask. 

“Unless something drastic is done, our support base is going to keep shifting,” said the AAP MLA quoted earlier in the piece.

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