New Delhi, Oct. 2 -- Punjab's 117-member Assembly election is due next year and the political contest is already taking shape as a multi-cornered battle involving the Aam Aadmi Party, Congress, and Shiromani Akali Dal.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) cannot be ignored either, with newer Panthic formations such as Waris Punjab De and the Punar Surjit Akali Dal are actively seeking to capture the state's fragmented religious and political space.

For the three traditional protagonists of the state's political contest - AAP, Congress and SAD - however, the 2027 election carries very different stakes.

For AAP, it will be a test of its five-year record in government, for Congress, it is an opportunity to convert its position as the principa...