Now, Kejriwal's AAP to contest in Gujarat local bodies elections; announces first list

Taking forward its big political expansion and stepping into electoral battle across India, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday announced that it will contest all seats in the upcoming local bodies polls in Gujarat. This is the first time AAP will be contesting local body polls and the party has also announced the first list of 504 candidates. The party has also said that it will contest the state polls and expressed confidence that it will emerge as a strong alternative to the ruling BJP in the state.

AAP's Delhi MLA and party spokesperson Atishi released the first list of candidates for the elections to the local bodies in the state, such as municipalities, municipal corporations, district and taluka panchayats, likely to be held in February. "AAP will contest elections on all seats in the local bodies polls in the state for the first time. With this, the party will enter the electoral politics of Gujarat as a strong alternative to the BJP. AAP will work to remove the BJP from power. Not just the local body polls, but AAP will also contest the Vidhan Sabha elections in Gujarat as well as other polls. People of Gujarat want an alternative," she said. "If there is a leader in the country who is not scared of the BJP, it is Arvind Kejriwal. And if there is one party that the BJP cannot scare or allure, then it is AAP... We, the soldiers of Arvind Kejriwal, will continue our fight for truth," she said.

READ | AAP vs BJP: Manish Sisodia reminds Uttarakhand govt of Jan 4 debate over schemes

The list is being announced weeks in advance as the candidates need to conduct door-to-door campaign, she added The AAP leader said the party has also opened an email address for the people to register their complaints, if they have any, against the candidates.

Elections to six municipal corporations, including Ahmedabad, 55 municipalities, 31 district panchayats and 231 taluka pachayats were supposed to be held in November, 2020, a month before their five-year terms came to end, but were postponed by three months in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, BJP chief JP Nadda will visit Gujarat later on Monday. Recently, AIMIM also announced that it would contest elections in Gujarat.

READ | Arvind Kejriwal Announces AAP Will Contest 2022 Uttar Pradesh Elections; Accuses Rivals

AAP's political expansion

Eyeing to expand in India's most politically significant state, AAP had started its push in Uttar Pradesh by accusing the ruling Yogi government and by often making wild allegations on social media. AAP leader Sanjay Singh from Sultanpur has been named the state unit chief, and since his appointment a number of FIRs have been filed against him on various charges. On December 15, Kejriwal said that the Aam Aadmi Party will contest the assembly elections in 2022. Ahead of the assembly polls, the AAP will contest the Zila Panchayat elections in Uttar Pradesh, as per reports. The party in August had also announced that it will contest the 2022 Uttarakhand Assembly election, and has placed its leader Dinesh Mohaniya in the state to design the campaign. While AAP's plan to expand in Uttar Pradesh is ambitious, considering the party has lost its influence in terms of electoral wins in Punjab and Haryana, it has, however, been emboldened by its one-seat win in Goa's Zilla Parishad polls (out of 49). Incidentally, Arvind Kejriwal had in 2014 unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha elections from UP's Varanasi against then BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi. 

READ | 'Delhi, I love you!' booms Arvind Kejriwal in victory speech as AAP secures landslide win

Delhi Elections 2020

Aam Aadmi Party registered a landslide victory consecutively for the second time earlier this year in the Delhi assembly polls, making Arvind Kejriwal the CM for the third time. Aam Aadmi Party won 63 seats and BJP won 7 seats. The AAP in 2015 registered a landslide victory by winning 67 out of the 70 seats and Congress like the previous time drew a blank.

READ | Arvind Kejriwal lauds scientists and doctors after approval to two COVID vaccines