As bitter political narratives gain ground in Punjab ahead of 2027 assembly elections, former Congress leader and Union Law Minister Ashwani Kumar spoke to Associate Editor Aditi Tandon about the need for restraint and dignity. Predicting a hung house in Punjab, Kumar, a former Rajya Sabha MP from the state, and a public intellectual, urged political parties to reclaim their credibility and said apathy to the plight of people was creating space for movements like the Cockroach Janata Party.Q. Your views on the growing shrillness of Indian politics?Politics anchored in visceral animosities and vendetta doesn’t serve the cause of democracy. It is for the political class cutting across party spectrum to reclaim its credibility. It is time to refrain from reckless personal allegations and forge a broad political consensus focused on solutions. This is particularly necessary for Punjab, where a fractured mandate stares at us.Q. Why do you see a fractured mandate in Punjab?Punjab is on the cusp of political change. The BJP will significantly increase its vote share. The Shiromani Akali Dal will reclaim presence. Congress has a long history in the state and Waris Punjab De too will impact outcomes. That said, even with a reduced presence, AAP will have respectable numbers. Those writing the political obituary of AAP may find themselves checkmated by electoral arithmetics. So broadly, there is no major anti-AAP sentiment but there is certainly a pro-BJP sentiment. Overall you are seeing almost five political parties competing for power for the first time.Q. Shouldn’t Congress, the principal opposition party in Punjab, benefit?Congress needs to project a leadership that can carry the weight of its responsibility to be the fulcrum of a credible Opposition. Without an image makeover at the national level, its appeal in Punjab will also be dented. The need for Congress to reinvent itself in the state was never more obvious. Its inability to throw up any one acceptable leader as the face will cost it dearly. It has to shed a compulsive obsession with individuals. Its preference for real politik over principle, reflected in recent developments in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, have not helped. The party of the freedom movement seems to have also forgotten the distinction between empowerment of the marginalised and casteist majoritarianism.Q. Why do you see a pro BJP sentiment in Punjab?Punjab is a border state. Security and law and order have been the predominant concerns, particularly of the Hindus who are in a minority. BJP’s appeal, earlier confined to urban areas, has now extended to rural segments. So collectively their vote share will increase because an insecure electorate looks to a party known for muscular nationalism. And BJP is the obvious party to give that feeling.Q. There’s a perception the Sikhs are not so favorable to the BJP?Because of the farm laws there is resentment in the Punjab peasantry. But public memory is short. The BJP may come up with measures supportive of the Punjab peasantry in which case there is a possibility of the SAD-BJP alliance. If this alliance fructifies, it will be in direct contest with AAP.Q. Punjab’s top challenges?Restoring fiscal health of the state, diversifying its agricultural economy and delivering security. Unchecked populism has placed Punjab in a very vulnerable position. Political leaders should build bridges between parties to address these challenges. The hopelessness seen in the eyes of the youth is an open wound on the soul of Punjab. Apathy to those in distress creates space for movements like the Cockroach Janata Party.Q. What does CJP’s rise signal?It is reflective of frustration with mainstream political formations. These movements are quintessentially about hope. However, hope cannot be communicated by high-sounding words. It is communicated effectively only when people see visible action.Q. So the trust in conventional parties is waning?Politics that leans heavily in favour of realpolitik and sheds idealism is never going to find lasting appeal in the consciousness of the people. This is the enduring lesson of history. Most of our leaders are forgetting this lesson.Q. What is your goal? You are not in any party.I believe that it is possible to play an active role in public affairs even outside political formations. I will continue to be active in public life and articulate the sensitivities of my people based on values I espouse.Q. In bitter times, how does one seek a politics of renewal?I believe that politics is the highest form of public service. Thomas Mann had famously opined that the challenges of the world are fundamentally settled in political terms. Punjab can show the path for a politics of renewal. It must decisively reject the politics of vendetta. The next elections should signal a shift towards inclusive politics and accountability of power. Punjab’s intelligentsia and youth have their role cut out for espousing elevated politics beyond the seduction of raw power.