In an apparent attempt to live up to its image, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) would field the aam aadmi (common man) as its candidates for 2017 Punjab Assembly polls.
Expected to release its first list of candidates for the elections soon, the AAP has decided to give tickets to the party workers and volunteers, rather than its known and established leaders.
AAP had earlier announced to announce the first set of its candidates by July, but the same has been delayed after the party embroiled in one controversy after another in the recent past.
Sources informed The Pioneer that AAP's first list would be released by August end and would be “sans big names”.
It has been learnt that the likes of Bhagwant Mann - party's popular and the most controversial face in Punjab, party's State convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur, its Faridkot MP Prof Sadhu Singh, senior Supreme Court lawyer HS Phoolka, would not be part of the first list.
AAP created a flutter in the State political field after bagging four out of 13 lok Sabha seats in 2014 defying nation-wide Narendra Modi wave. It upset the political equations of both the traditional political powers in the State - SAD-BJP and the Congress.
Once considered as a power to reckon with, AAP lost the track, and popularity too, in the absence of organisational structure in Punjab, strong leadership, and infighting.
Many of its leaders, including two sitting MPs - Dr Dharamvira Gandhi from Patiala and HS Khalsa from Fatehgarh Sahib - openly revolted against the party. AAP, in August 2015, suspended the two for anti-party activities.
The party is expected to get a boost to its campaign in Punjab as the speculations were rife that former Parliamentarian Navjot Singh Sidhu may soon come to AAP's fold.
Sidhu may join on Aug 15
As the suspense over cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu's next step continues, unconfirmed reports are that the former Parliamentarian may join the AAP on August 15.
It has been learnt that Sidhu would join AAP, not as its chief ministerial candidate, in Punjab, but as its star campaigner. Sidhu would then be followed by his MlA wife, Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu, who is a chief parliamentary secretary (CPS) in the SAD-BJP Government.
The announcement for Sidhu's induction would reportedly be made by AAP chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Sidhu has, so far, dodged questions on joining AAP and leaving BJP.
In his first media briefing after resigning as Rajya Sabha MP on July 18, Sidhu had blamed the BJP for keeping his away from Punjab. Sidhu's sudden resignation triggered speculation that he is moving to AAP, which has seen a surge in its popularity in Punjab in the months ahead of the elections.
Interestingly, Kejriwal has also revealed nothing but tweeted: “Sidhu would have spoken against drugs if he went to Punjab. Who was BJP trying to protectIJ Shocking.”
BJP nominated Sidhu to the Rajya Sabha earlier this year in a move that was seen as propitiation after he was asked to make way for Arun Jaitley in Amritsar for the 2014 national election.
BJP sources denied that he had been asked to stay away from Punjab. “His name was added for the state core group by the central leadership, because they wanted him to take part in the campaign actively,” they said.
Kejriwal to appear in court in defamation case
AAP national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will appear in Amritsar court on Friday in a defamation case filed against him by Punjab Cabinet Minister Bikram Singh Majithia. This would be Kejriwal's third visit in the recent past.
An Amritsar court had recently issued summons to Kejriwal and two other AAP leaders asking them to appear before it on July 29 in a defamation case.
Besides Kejriwal, summons were issued to journalistturned-politician Ashish Khetan and AAP's Punjab affairs in-charge Sanjay Singh by Chief Judicial Magistrate Gurpartap Singh in a criminal defamation case filed by Majithia alleging that AAP was bent upon tarnishing his and his family's image by levelling baseless allegations.
AAP is expected to gain by Kejriwal's appearance in the court on Friday as party workers and leaders are gearing up for his visit, and it may end up as show of strength. The party leaders are putting up hoardings and banners in support of Kejriwal claiming that they would call Majithia a drug lord.
Social networking websites are abuzz with party workers asking supporters to reach Amritsar circuit house, where Kejriwal would be staying, on Friday in huge numbers.
“We would ask Majithia to file defamation case against all of us also for calling him drug lord,” an AAP volunteer said.