With Punjab in its kitty, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is trying to test political waters in the uncharted territory of Himachal Pradesh where Assembly elections are due this year-end. As part of its strategy, the party is considering contesting even the civic body elections scheduled to be held in Shimla next month.
It formally announced plans to contest the Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections on Saturday. AAP’s Delhi minister Satyender Jain said the focus will now be on HP, both for Shimla civic polls and later assembly polls. “We already have party set-up in each of the 68 Assembly segments and now we will consolidate further,” said Jain.
He claimed some leaders from both BJP and Congress were in touch with AAP. “There are good people in every party and they are all welcome to join us,” he said, adding that development plans of Delhi and Punjab will be replicated in Himachal. “Why take tax if you cannot provide basic infrastructure like water and power free to people. Is the tax for netas or welfare of common man,” he quipped.
To rejuvenate the cadre and start a recruitment drive, Jain is scheduled to reach Shimla on Friday and is expected to take out a victory rally to celebrate the success of AAP in Punjab.
Speaking to News18.com, AAP Himachal Pradesh in-charge Ratnesh Gupta said: “The people of Himachal Pradesh, too, are restless for change and we are going to be that change for the state.”
He claimed that the recruitment drive would begin soon even though the state unit already has a 30,000-strong cadre at present. The AAP seems to be experimenting in states where it believes the Congress hasn’t been able to provide an alternative to people and the infighting in Himachal Congress has made decision to make forays into the state sound logical.
But for the party, the challenge seems to be huge. While the BJP has built up a strong organizational structure in the state, the Congress has shown some signs of revival during the recently held by-elections. The Congress managed to win by-elections in Mandi and Arki Lok Sabha constituencies. The party also swept Fatehpur and Jubbal-Kotkhai Assembly segments which were seen as BJP strongholds.
The victory in the bypolls also established that Pratibha Singh will carry forward the political legacy of Virbhadra Singh, six-time Congress chief minister who passed away in July last year. The Congress victory did raise question mark over continuity of Chief Minister Jairam Thakur at the helm, but BJP president JP Nadda cleared the air when he announced that the BJP would contest elections under Thakur.
Read all the Latest News, Breaking News, watch Top Videos and Live TV here.
Comments
0 comment