In an apparent attempt to convert four-seat win in just-concluded parliamentary polls into a major victory for the party during Assembly elections, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is all set to carry out a recce of impending electoral battle field.
Three of the party’s “senior generals” are scheduled to visit Punjab for five days from June 18 for chalking out the strategy, and revamping the party’s State unit.AAP’s team, visiting all parliamentary constituencies in Punjab, include senior leaders Manish Sisodia, Jairnal Singh, and Raghav Chadha.
As per available Volunteer Meeting schedule, they are expected to kickstart their tour from ludhiana on June 18, followed by Patiala, Sangrur and Bathinda on second day. On June 20, they would cover Faridkot, Ferozepur, and Khadoor Sahib, while on fourth day, they would be visiting Amritsar, Gurdaspur, and Jalandhar. On the final day, the team would visit Hoshiarpur, Anandpur Sahib and Fatehgarh Sahib.
The team would hold individual meetings with State executive, former State campaign committee, district executives and also party’s lok Sabha candidates. Besides, it would hold volunteer meet in each parliamentary constituency.“Party’s national executive members would have an insight of state of affairs. They would collect feedback for eventually setting up party units at different levels starting from bottom to top — that is block level up to the state level, including district level party units,” comedian-turned-politician and Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann told The Pioneer.
The visit assumes significance as party’s nation-wide prospects depend largely on their performance during the Assembly polls in Punjab scheduled to be held sometime in 2017. Punjab is the only State where AAP managed to lay seize on the Parliamentary seats after being routed out in other States during 2014 general elections.AAP won four seats in Punjab, springing a surprise not only to the party, but also to its rivals as its candidates trounced several heavyweights of the State politics.
It garnered 24.4 per cent of total votes in Punjab and secured a lead in some 33 assembly segments while coming second in 25 others. It bagged two per cent lesser votes than the ruling SAD, which got over 26 per cent votes.
Already, AAP has made its intentions clear of making foray into the State politics aiming at the next state assembly polls, to be held after three years. As of now, the party is preparing to contest the state assembly by-polls, expected to be held for Patiala seat, vacated after sitting MlA Capt Amarinder Singh resigned following his election as Amritsar MP.
By-election is also pending for Talwandi Sabo Assembly constituency, which has been lying vacant following sitting Congress MlA resigned to join the SAD before lok Sabha polls.The party, it seems, is concentrating more on Punjab than any other State. The fact that such intense activity is yet to be witnessed in Haryana, where the polls are to be held this year, gives credence to the theory.