The new election paradigm

Welfarism is gaining ground among voters

The performances of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the recent Assembly polls point to a compelling new dynamic among the electorate that transcends the standard template of caste and religious identities to welfarist gains. This much was amply clear from AAP’s stunning sweep of Punjab, felling stalwarts such as former chief minister Amarinder Singh, the Shiromani Akali Dal’s Badal father-and-son duo, and incumbent Congress Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi in both the seats he contested. AAP’s campaign focused on its “Delhi model” of governance, where such incentives as heavily subsidised water and electricity, creating