AAP says its Haryana poll plan is ready
AAP has unveiled a campaign plan for Haryana elections after Arvind Kejriwal's bail. He aims to energize support ahead of the October 5 polls.
The Aam Aadmi Party on Saturday announced that it has hammered out an elaborate campaign plan for the upcoming Haryana assembly elections after party convener Arvind Kejriwal met top AAP leaders at 6, Flagstaff Road, his official residence.
Senior party leaders Sandeep Pathak, Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh, Atishi, Saurabh Bharadwaj, Raghav Chadha, and Gopal Rai, among others, were present during the meeting, a party functionary said.
The development came a day after the Supreme Court granted bail to Kejriwal, the Delhi chief minister who was incarcerated in Tihar jail after his arrest in connection with alleged irregularities in the Delhi excise policy 2021-22. Kejriwal walked out of jail on Friday evening to great fanfare and celebrations from AAP functionaries and supporters.
Haryana is set to go to polls on October 5, with results to be declared on October 8.
While Kejriwal was incarcerated, other AAP leaders took up the mantle of leading rallies, roadshows and public meetings in Haryana and selling its Delhi and Punjab “models” to a state that shares its borders with both. His wife Sunita Kejriwal in particular occupied the centre stage in AAP’s political rallies and meetings, holding several back-to-back meetings, addressing party workers, and unveiling the AAP’s poll guarantees of such as free electricity, and a focus on education and healthcare.
However, the AAP had included Kejriwal’s name in its list of star campaigners for the elections.
On Saturday, Pathak — AAP’s national general secretary (organisation) — said the party has readied a campaign plan for each of the 90 seats in the Haryana assembly.
“Arvind Kejriwal called all senior leaders for a meeting today where detailed discussions took place on Haryana elections. A campaign plan has been made for each assembly seat of Haryana. Soon, an extensive campaign will be started. Since the Supreme Court gave bail to our leader Arvind Kejriwal, the resolve of the AAP workers has increased so much that they are ready to work with 100 times more strength. We believe that this time Haryana election will be extraordinary,” Pathak said.
A senior AAP functionary, on condition of anonymity, said Kejriwal is likely to visit Haryana next week, where he will hold multiple public meetings and roadshows. However, the functionary did not share a detailed itinerary of Kejriwal’s Haryana visit.
To be sure, the AAP is yet to win a single Lok Sabha or assembly seat in Haryana.
Haryana BJP leader Anil Vij said Kejriwal’s presence in Haryana will not make much difference to his party’s fortunes. “Getting bail does not equate to being absolved of charges. Kejriwal is still under restrictions. The difference now is that he was in jail before and is now on bail,” Vij said.