Venturing in Punjab as its next destination, the Aam Aadmi Party has decided to start its campaign in the State by launching a mass awareness drive against the growing drug menace.
After sending shock waves in the camp of BJP, which was riding high on the Narendra Modi wave, during Delhi assembly polls, AAP is all set to turn over the political equations in Punjab where it managed to bag four parliamentary seats in 2014 general elections while drawing blank in the entire country.
The party has already made it clear that it would primarily focus its entire attention on Punjab, with an eye on the next assembly polls, scheduled to be held in 2017. “The mass contact programme against drugs in Punjab would also be a part of our campaign for 2017 Assembly polls in the State,” said AAP’s Punjab unit convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur.
He said that after a “landslide victory” in Delhi assembly polls and forming the government in the national capital, AAP would consolidate its base in Punjab with an eye on the assembly elections in the state in 2017.
“Now, the AAP’s next poll destination is assembly elections of 2017 in Punjab,” he said. Chhotepur said, “The party has decided to motivate and to bring awareness among the masses by launching mass contact programme to motivate the people not only against drugs, but also to prepare them from 2017 poll.”
AAP, which had lost two by-polls — Patiala and Talwandi Sabo — badly in August 2014, has already decided to back out from contesting upcoming civic bodies polls in the State. Chhotepur said that AAP national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had directed all the four party MPs from Punjab to start preparation for by-poll to Dhuri Assembly.
Dhuri assembly seat fell vacant recently after the Congress MlA Arvind Khanna resigned and decided to quit politics. The schedule for the by-poll is yet to be announced. “There is a huge anti-incumbency against the SAD-BJP alliance Government in Punjab, while the Congress is facing intense infighting,” he said.