Punjab LoP Bajwa: ‘The only difference between NDA, INDIA is Nitish … Modi ji will not prevail as he is not at ease running an alliance govt’

Punjab emerged as one of the bright spots for the Congress on Saturday, with the party looking all set to win seven of the 13 seats in the state as of 6 pm and the BJP failing to open its account.

Partap Singh Bajwa, the Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly, who led his party’s campaign in the state, speaks to The Indian Express about what the results mean for the state party unit, battered by a string of losses, and the challenges ahead.

Excerpts:

People want a change at the national level. As for Punjab, people have clearly indicated they want a change here too. From 42% in 2022, the Aam Aadmi Party’s vote share in the state has almost halved to 26%. The votes they have polled are merely because they are in power (in the state). The AAP government does not hold the panchayat, municipal council, or corporation polls. There are many contenders who want to remain on the right side of the government. After the elections, there will be further erosion in their ranks. As for the BJP, I have been saying from day one that their vote share may increase, but they will not win any seats.

The Congress’s resurgence at a time when it was at the receiving end of both the state and the Centre is praiseworthy. The message of the Punjabis is simple — In the coming years, they want the Congress back in power in the state. People are looking for mature leadership, not for immature upstarts.

At the national level, I feel deeply let down by the media because it perpetuated the narrative that there was no possibility of change. Even two days ago, the Prime Minister and others were speaking of a barrage of support in the form of 400-plus seats, and the media was peddling this message.

Had Nitish Kumar not joined hands with the BJP, the