Elated with the spectacular support of people in Delhi Assembly election, the Aam Aadmi Party on Saturday declared that the movement of alternative politics will be taken to a higher level. It will contest the upcoming lok Sabha election on maximum number of seats in most States. It was announced that the first list of its candidates will be out in the next 10-15 days and the complete list will be finalised by February 15.
However, amidst talk that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is its prime ministerial nominee, the party made it clear that the decision on it will be taken after the results, senior leader Prashant Bhushan said in between a two-day meeting of the National Executive of the party in the Capital. However, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal later asserted that he is not going to contest the lok Sabha election. “I will not fight the 2014 lok Sabha elections but will campaign for the party,” he said.
AAP leader Prashant Bhushan on Saturday said the decision was taken following the popular response across the country after AAP took power in Delhi. “AAP will fight the lok Sabha election, contest in the maximum number of States, and in as many seats as possible,” he said at a Press conference held at Constitution Club in the Capital.
“AAP will contest lok Sabha elections in most States and in the maximum number of seats. We will try to declare the list of maximum candidates by mid-February or latest by the end of next month,” he said. Asked whether Kejriwal will be declared the PM candidate, he said this issue was not to be decided on Saturday. “Arvind Kejriwal is the supreme leader of the party but we have not decided on the name of our prime ministerial candidate. It does not hold importance to us who will be our PM candidate,” said Bhushan.
Another leader Sanjay Singh said, “The first list of AAP candidates for the upcoming lok Sabha elections will be out in 10 to 15 days. The process which was followed during Delhi polls for selection of candidates will be followed in lok Sabha also.” He said the party will contest elections from States where it has a reasonable structure and where it will find honest candidates. “During the next one month, the party will hold meetings in every State to finalise the name of lok Sabha candidates. Candidates facing criminal and corruption charges and questions on their moral character will not be given tickets,” Singh added. Singh said that like Delhi Assembly elections, the party will have separate manifestos for each constituency for lok Sabha elections.
With AAP announcing its national ambition to contest the lok Sabha polls, the BJP and Congress ridiculed the new political outfit’s strategy. While BJP alleged there is a “match-fixing” between Congress and AAP, Congress sought to ridicule AAP whose leaders have stated that their convener Arvind Kejriwal would be a better option when compared to BJP’s nominee Narendra Modi and Congress’ Rahul Gandhi.
“Intentions of AAP are becoming obvious with each passing day and the ruling party at the Centre is using its B-team to take on Narendra Modi as it does not have the capacity to face him. Congress does not have the capacity to take on Modi and reply to his arguments. Hence, it has struck an alliance with AAP,” BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said. Dismissing AAP, Hussain added “people are fast losing their trust in AAP. Their views have changed not in days but in hours.”
The Congress, which is providing outside support to Kejriwal’s Government in Delhi, made a tongue-in-cheek remark saying there is no bar on even a Chief Minister for six days to “dream” of being the Prime Minister. “Everybody has a right to dream. You cannot put a ban on people dreaming. There is no such law in the country. So many Chief Ministers are dreaming of becoming prime ministerial candidates. Some have been announced. Some themselves think that they are. Why can’t Kejriwal think of it though he has been a Chief Minister for only last six daysIJ” party General Secretary in-charge for Delhi Shakeel Ahmad said. At the same time, Ahmad said that there is “no challenge or threat” to Rahul Gandhi.
Responding to a query on whether AAP will cut into BJP’s urban votes and damage Narendra Modi’s prime ministerial aspirations, Sanjay Singh said the party has emerged as an alternative to Congress and BJP and it is not contesting election to benefit or hurt any party. “Rahul Gandhi and Narendra Modi are not poll issues for us. We are here to eradicate the problems of the people,” Singh added. “People in rural areas are as excited about AAP as those in urban areas. There are places were people in villages are even more excited,” Bhushan said.
Bhushan added that people now want an alternative to Congress and BJP and AAP is a people’s movement, not just a political party. “AAP believes that the Government should run as per the wishes of the people,” he added. Singh, who is part of a two-member sub-committee for lok Sabha election of the party, said there’s excitement in States about the party’s prospects and a large number of people want to join AAP. The party has already invited applications for candidates wanting to contest lok Sabha elections.
Apart from Delhi, key party functionaries from Maharashtra, Karnataka, Haryana and Tamil Nadu were present for the National Executive meeting. Other than Kejriwal, his ministerial colleague Manish Sisodia, senior party members like Yogendra Yadav, Prashant Bhushan, Sanjay Singh, Anjali Damania and Mayank Gandhi were also present at the meet.
On being asked who will be pitched by the party against Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi, Singh said “The decision to enter the lok Sabha battle has nothing to do with other political parties. We have made it clear that we have no alliance with the Congress in Delhi. We are not fighting elections to harm or benefit anyone,” Singh said, adding it made no difference whether the AAP decision harmed or benefited BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi or Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi.