Buoyed by the youth protests in Delhi and sensing an opportunity amid BJP’s focus on Sikh votes, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is now working to consolidate Gen Z and Hindu votes in Punjab.The ruling party has launched “Ek Sham, Shiv Ke Naam” programmes in Hindu-dominated areas, which account for nearly 38.5 per cent of the electorate. It has also capitalised on the NEET paper leak protests, with Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann felicitating 882 students and claiming that 68,000 government jobs have been provided to youth in the past four and a half years.AAP leaders organised protests across districts, including Hoshiarpur, Pathankot, Nawanshahr and Kapurthala, drawing sizeable youth participation just before the Union Education Minister’s resignation was announced. Punjab has about 5.5 lakh first-time voters and 46 lakh voters under the age of 29, making youth a crucial bloc.Party sources told The Tribune that AAP was positioning itself as the only party to generate large-scale employment while also being sympathetic to students’ concerns. “We have provided welfare schemes for youth, quality education in public schools and launched skill development initiatives. Both in 2022 and 2027, youths have been at the centre of AAP’s politics and policy making,” said AAP president Aman Arora. He added that the party’s outreach strategy relies heavily on social media and student activism, particularly at Panjab University.After launching the “Mawan Dhiyan Satkar Yojana” last month, which registered 71 lakh women for monthly financial assistance, AAP has intensified efforts to woo Hindu voters. While the BJP has focused on Sikhs, AAP has organised “bhajan sandhyas” in Hindu constituencies and included Hindu pilgrimage sites under the Mukh Mantri Teerath Yatra Scheme.Malvinder Singh Kang, MP from Anandpur Sahib, said the party was reaching out to all religions and communities to consolidate its position ahead of the elections.