Sujeet Singh Thakur, who belongs to Rajgarh in Sirmaur district, labored within the resort trade earlier than quitting to affix AAP eight years in the past. He speaks about AAP plans, the accusations in opposition to its leaders, prices in opposition to the social gathering of chopping others’ votes and the way it will meet the guarantees it has made. Excerpts:
* The Aam Aadmi Social gathering is contesting all of the 68 candidates in Himachal. However its nationwide management, together with Arvind Kejriwal, seems to have deserted the state and is specializing in Gujarat.
Thakur: Nobody has been deserted. Arwind Kejriwal goes to carry a giant public rally in Solan on November 3. Other than him, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia in addition to 20 star campaigners will maintain rallies throughout constituencies within the coming days. The entire social gathering is working within the subject.
* However a lot of your candidates appear to lack assets. Do you suppose you’ll be able to prepare the funding, given the assets your opponents are placing in?
Thakur: Cash will not be our social gathering’s precedence, neeyat (intention) is the precedence. The social gathering has given tickets not on the idea of cash a candidate has, however on the idea of their neeyat and nishtha (dedication). We aren’t going to distribute daru (liquor) or paisa (cash) to voters. Our candidates belong to frequent households.
* What number of seats is the social gathering realistically specializing in?
Thakur: We’re contesting all of the 68 constituencies with our full may. We’re placing equal effort in all. We aren’t right here merely to spoil the political sport of the BJP or the Congress.
* Do you suppose the management might have paid extra consideration to Himachal? Even AAP in-charge of the state Sandeep Pathak is lacking.
Thakur: No, it’s not so. Our door-to-door marketing campaign has been on for a very long time. Our employees are there within the subject. Our predominant leaders will come for campaigning. Sandeep Pathak is at work in Gujarat . He was in Chhattisgarh some days in the past. He’s taking care of the social gathering affairs on the nationwide stage (as effectively).
* Your opponents accuse you of getting a secret take care of the BJP to break the Congress, in addition to different non-BJP events.
Thakur: Earlier, the identical allegations have been levelled in Delhi, after which in Punjab. They (the BJP and Congress) accuse AAP of being a vote katua (chopping into their votes). In truth, the 2 events have a mutual setting to make sure that AAP doesn’t come to energy. Each have plundered Himachal badly over so a few years and have run up a debt of Rs 70,000 crore. They need to proceed this plundering by turns.
* What number of seats do you suppose AAP will win?
Thakur: 60-plus.
* Is that this an actual evaluation or political jumlebaazi?
Thakur: We’re getting large public help and on that foundation, I’m saying this. AAP is the choice.
* What would AAP’s stand be if there’s a hung Meeting. Will it help the BJP or the Congress?
Thakur: Such a state of affairs had arisen in Delhi in our first election (within the capital) and we had instructed the Congress our situation, that in case you observe our agenda, we are able to type the federal government… However now AAP has determined that both it would type a authorities or it would sit within the Opposition.We’ll go alone. No halfway.
* Many senior AAP leaders are in jail on corruption prices. On the one hand, you declare that your social gathering is totally trustworthy and in opposition to corruption, and alternatively, so a lot of your leaders are in jail.
Thakur: It needs to be understood on technical grounds why they’ve jailed our huge leaders. Not even one cost has been proved in court docket. The ED (Enforcement Directorate) and CBI have been snubbed by courts… They’ve just one agenda, that huge leaders of AAP should not marketing campaign in Gujarat and Himachal.
* Why have tainted candidates been fielded in Himachal by your social gathering? A few of them face corruption prices.
Thakur: In the event that they face instances of homicide, rape, or different crimes, our social gathering by no means provides tickets to such candidates. A lot of the instances (confronted by our candidates) have been lodged when our individuals protested in opposition to anti-government choices and organised demonstrations. Such instances are usually not of felony nature. The case in opposition to the candidate from Nachan, for instance, is filled with lies. She was the youngest pradhan (of the state) and is a youth icon of Himachal. We have now seen all of the info of the case (in opposition to her of embezzlement of cement baggage). Even the Excessive Courtroom gave reduction to her. Authorities companies couldn’t show something.
* Some lecturers from Punjab have campaigned right here, telling people who the AAP authorities in Punjab has not fulfilled any of the guarantees it made.
Thakur: Those that got here right here have been planted by the Congress.
* A number of of your insurgent leaders who didn’t get tickets have alleged that the tickets have been offered?
Thakur: The BJP and Congress are placing in all efforts to pacify their rebels. In AAP, we’re doing no such factor. There isn’t any scope for such individuals (within the social gathering). One who got here to vary the system has no concern about tickets, and people who are right here for tickets have no real interest in vyavastha parivartan (altering the system). Rebels won’t be entertained in AAP. Those that are making such allegations joined the social gathering for their very own advantages.
* What are your predominant marketing campaign points, you’d say?
Thakur: The 11 ensures given by Kejriwal can be our predominant points — to supply free and world-class training to the individuals of Himachal, well being, corruption-free authorities, Rs 1,000 Samman Rashi for girls, Rs 3,000 unemployment allowance for these jobless until the age of 40, free pilgrimage for the outdated, Rs 1 crore Samman Rashi to martyrs… We may also implement the OPS (Previous Pension Scheme) inside a month and fulfill our ensures to farmers, together with MSP and processing vegetation.
* From the place will you prepare the cash for these ensures? Himachal Pradesh already has an enormous debt.
Thakur: We’ll remove corruption and generate assets of earnings. We have now ready the blueprint. Earlier, the Delhi authorities was below deficit. It was reeling below a Rs 28,000 crore debt, however now Delhi is a surplus state. We’ll commercialise the 6,500 resthouses, guesthouses and circuit homes unfold throughout the state which have turn into locations for playing and liquor. These are just a few examples. There are various different issues we are able to do within the state.