It makes a great deal of noise in Delhi as it battles the Modi government but the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Uttar Pradesh is quietly working to find a firm foothold in state politics.
It makes a great deal of noise in Delhi as it battles the Modi government but the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Uttar Pradesh is quietly working to find a firm foothold in state politics.
The AAP has been working to build up its organisation in every Vidhan Sabha segment and, if possible, in every municipal ward. The party has started assessing its strength in every Assembly segment and is even shortlisting candidates for the 2017 Assembly elections.
“We may not contest all the 403 seats in 2017 but we will definitely contest a sizeable number of seats where we have built up our base. We will focus on these seats and concentrate our resources and energies to ensure our victory. We expect a hung Assembly in the next elections in UP and the AAP will be a balancing factor in state politics,” said an AAP leader in Lucknow.
The AAP also plans to contest the municipal elections which are scheduled to be held immediately after the Assembly polls in 2017. “For the municipal elections, we have asked our workers to file queries through the RTI and seek information about work done in each ward and the funds used for it. This will expose the corporators and even the mayor,” the AAP leader said.
It is clear that after its fiasco in UP in the Lok Sabha elections, the Aam Aadmi Party wants to tread cautiously. Party leaders admit that it was their over-confidence that worked against them. “We are a young party and many of us are novices in politics but our intentions are honest and clear. Like everyone else, we also had teething troubles but we are now better equipped to face elections,” the leader said.
In its election campaign in UP, AAP sources said that the party will focus on corruption and criminalisation which is rampant in almost all parties.
“Whether it is the ruling Samajwadi Party or the BJP and the BSP, they all depend on criminals and capitalists which automatically leads to corruption. We will build our campaign around these two issues and expose these parties,” the source said.
Senior AAP leaders, in recent months, may have kept away from Uttar Pradesh but Sanjay Singh, in charge of UP affairs, is said to be closely monitoring the situation in the state and takes regular feedback from the party workers here.
The party plans to appoint a state president or state convenor in Uttar Pradesh soon to deal with state level issues here.
