With its plans in Himachal Pradesh having derailed following a sequence of setbacks, the Aam Aadmi Celebration (AAP) is now concentrating on the Meeting elections in Gujarat.
The notion in sections of the occasion is that the senior management, together with Delhi Chief Minister and occasion convener Arvind Kejriwal, has given up on the hill state and placing all their efforts into Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence state the place they stand an opportunity of successful a sizeable variety of seats.
Kejriwal usually visited Himachal Pradesh earlier this 12 months however is now addressing occasions solely within the western state. On October 16, the Delhi CM was in Bhavnagar. Although the election date for Himachal has been introduced — November 12 — and Gujarat ballot dates haven’t been declared, most AAP leaders from Punjab, together with ministers and MLAs, are being seen extra in Gujarat. A number of of them stated on the situation of anonymity that they had been puzzled why they weren’t being despatched to neighbouring Himachal and as an alternative had been being deployed to a state with a unique cultural milieu and the place they face a language barrier.
“After July 25, when Kejriwal and (Punjab CM Bhagwant) Mann addressed a digital rally collectively, Kejriwal has not been seen within the hill state. The occasion unit has been left to fend for itself,” stated an AAP chief.
One setback after one other
The AAP made a gentle begin in Himachal Pradesh earlier this 12 months when banners searching for votes in Kejriwal’s identify got here up in a number of locations. In March, the occasion appointed the Delhi CM’s shut aide Durgesh Pathak because the central chief accountable for the state.
However the first physique blow landed in April when the occasion’s then state chief Anup Kesri jumped ship to the BJP together with senior leaders normal secretary Satish Thakur and Una head Iqbal Singh. The defection got here two days after Kejriwal and Mann held a “Tiranga Yatra” in Mandi.
Then, the next month, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Delhi minister Satyendar Jain in a case of alleged cash laundering. On the time, Jain was amongst these taking care of the occasion’s election efforts in Himachal.
On October 14, the occasion shook issues up and positioned Punjab Cupboard minister Harjot Bains accountable for the hill state whereas Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha was made the co-in-charge for Gujarat. “He has been tenting there now. Even the Punjab CM spends his weekends in Gujarat,” stated a celebration insider.
The Kejriwal-led occasion has not but declared its candidates for the elections. The final date for submitting nominations is October 25. Bains stated on October 16 that the occasion would subject candidates in all 68 seats in Himachal. Although Bains was not out there for remark, his aide claimed that the AAP was nonetheless very a lot within the contest and was not leaving any stone unturned. “We have now been tenting within the state ever since our appointment on October 14. We’re working arduous. It’s improper to say the AAP will not be placing in any effort,” stated the functionary.
Because the Eighties, Himachal Pradesh has had a monitor document of voting out the occasion in energy each 5 years. This time, the BJP is banking on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the work achieved by the Jairam Thakur authorities to interrupt that cycle whereas the Congress is counting on former CM Virbhadra Singh’s spouse Pratibha Singh and son Vikramaditya to steer it again to energy. The Opposition occasion will probably be with out Virbhadra, a six-time CM who died final 12 months.
Within the 2017 Meeting elections, a number of seats witnessed shut contests. In 20 of the 68 constituencies, the margin was lower than 3,000 votes. In six seats, the margin was lower than 1,000 votes.