Punjab Victory Not 'AAP-ealing'? Here's What Major Oppn Leaders Were Doing When AAP Won Punjab

Punjab Victory Not 'AAP-ealing'? Here's What Major Oppn Leaders Were Doing When AAP Won Punjab

An Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supporter flashes the victory sign, to celebrate the party's lead during the counting day of Punjab Assembly elections, in Amritsar on Thursday. (Image: PTI)

Opposition leaders, including DMK chief MK Stalin, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray and others, seem to be in no mood to send out a message.

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Last Updated:March 12, 2022, 15:12 IST
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Even as Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) emerged victorious in the recently conducted Punjab Assembly elections, Opposition parties seemed quite reluctant in congratulating any of the leaders on their feat.

Over 48 hours have passed since the AAP toppled the Congress government in Punjab, and fought stronger state parties like the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) as well as a national party like BJP. But Opposition leaders, including DMK chief MK Stalin, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray and others, seem to be in no mood to send out a message to the party and its members. On the contrary, BJP's face and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted a congratulatory message for Kejriwal.

While the AAP, considered to be a newer party in Punjab, was celebrating its victory, here is what a few Opposition leaders — who poured in congratulatory messages for Mamata Banerjee when she won the Bengal Assembly elections — were doing.

Mamata Banerjee: The West Bengal CM's Trinamool Congress, which did not get any seat in the simultaneous Goa Assembly elections, rejected BJP's win in Uttar Pradesh. Banerjee, who had campaigned for Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi party in UP, said BJP's historic victory in the state was not the people's mandate, but was attained with help from "election machinery and Central forces and agencies". None of her comments that day mentioned AAP or Arvind Kejriwal.

KC Chandrashekhar Rao: TRS leader and Telangana chief minister also did not comment on the victory. He was released from the hospital on the same day after some health issues. It must be noted in this regard that it was him and Banerjee who talked about a third front earlier to topple the BJP government at the Centre while it gained more potential to rule for another five years.

Pinarayi Vijayan: The leftist veteran, who also made history by winning the Kerala Assembly elections last year and enjoyed support from all Opposition leaders, did not comment on AAP's win. Instead, Vijayan tweeted about a bridge being inaugurated in Kerala.

MK Stalin: Much like his other counterparts, Tamil Nadu chief minister and DMK leader MK Stalin also remained mum on the news. Instead, he inaugurated a three-day conference with district collectors, superintendents of police, and forest officials in Chennai on the day.

The silence of these leaders came quite in contrast to their uproar when Mamata Banerjee won the Assembly elections in Bengal with a landslide margin. All these leaders, including Kejriwal himself, had heaped praise on Banerjee on her win.

The only Opposition leader, however, to support AAP was NCP's Sharad Pawar. Calling AAP a national party, the leader tweeted, " "Punjab is the closest state to Delhi. Therefore, the effect of Delhi's work was felt in Punjab as well."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also maintained the formality to greet AAP on its win. "I would like to congratulate AAP for their victory in the Punjab elections. I assure all possible support from the Centre for Punjab's welfare," he said in a tweet.

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