In terms of conforming to the trends, first, one can refer to the continuing presence of three distinct electoral regions—Malwa, Doaba and Majha—each of which has its own specific electoral issues and voting pattern. ALSO READ | Punjab elections: Congress has its nose ahead, but AAP catching upHowever, there are important deviations too. First, the stable bipolar party system that has prevailed in Punjab since 1997, has finally come to an end. In a minor deviation, the Congress party has not entered into an alliance with the Left, unlike in the past. Arguably, this is the most interesting election in the political history of Punjab—one that can very well turn out to be a game changer.

Source: Mint January 31, 2017 18:05 UTC