Punjab polls: Congress sees more support in 'crucial' Doaba than AAP

HOSHIARPUR | NAWANSHAHR | JALANDHAR: With just 23 seats to add to the assembly, the Doaba region might seem less significant given the electoral might of the Malwa and Manjha regions in Punjab, but seems that this region may hold the key to which party will form the government in Punjab.
The region that lies between the Sutlej and Beas rivers and makes up for nearly 40% of the crucial Dalit votes in the state, appears to be leaning towards the grand old Congress party.Despite having a strong presence in Dalit areas of Phillaur, Goraya and Banga and giving the Congress and incumbent SAD-BJP alliance a tough fight across the Malwa region, the AAP appears to be on shaky ground in this region. The reasons are a weak cardre owing to a string of incidents of dissidence over tickets within the party and also the presence of Bahujan Samaj Party that is expected to play the role of a spoiler in cutting into Dalit votes.
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ET found a strong support for the Congress party in the urban seats of Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur and parts of Nawanshahr. While there is a strong anti-incumbency wave against the SAD-BJP alliance, what gives the Congress an edge over AAP in most parts here is 'experience' and 'known faces' contesting the elections. "AAP is a new party that is making promises but I do not know them. I would rather support the people I know and mingle with," said Satinder Sood, a doctor in Hoshiarpur.
A tea stall owner in Adampur of Hoshiarpur where Kejriwal had conducted a rally in December last year, added, "Jhaadu ka zor changa hai par hum purana nu saath hain." Drugs and corrupton are major reasons why SAD-BJP is on the backfoot here. In trader-centric Jalandhar, that elected the Congress in the 2014 elections has managed to consolidate support in favour of the party.