NEW DELHI: As the dust settles on a heavy turnout in the Punjab elections, Congress seems more confident that it might have seen off a strong Aam Aadmi Party surge in the closing stages of the poll in the border state.
The booth-level feedback, according to sources, is that AAP has done well in patches but might fall short of the sweep in the politically crucial Malwa region which many felt could power the new entrant in Punjab’s political scenario.
Congress functionaries are expressing cautious optimism that the party will do well in Malwa and emerge with a majority, dispelling projections of a hung House or an upset victory for AAP. The party believes the blast at Maur near Bhatinda after a Congress roadshow has given serious traction to its claim that voting for AAP may encourage radicalism in Punjab.
