The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which is yet to make an impression in the electoral politics of Uttar Pradesh, will find an opportunity to test its presence in the state when the civic polls are held soon.
AAP has already made it clear that it will contest all mayoral seats, civic body wards and nagar panchayats in the urban local bodies’ election in Uttar Pradesh.
“For the party’s central leadership, Uttar Pradesh is on top of the priority list after winning Punjab. The party will contest the civic polls with its full might to register its presence in the state,” said a senior AAP leader.
AAP’s tryst with electoral politics of Uttar Pradesh began in the 2014 Lok Sabha election with Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal challenging Narendra Modi in Varanasi. Modi won by a margin of over 3.7 lakh votes.
With AAP starting preparations for civic polls long back, its state incharge and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh has been holding press briefings in the state capital every week on all important issues for the past several months.
“The party has decided to contest all mayoral seats, civic body wards and nagar panchayat seats,” said Sabhajit Singh, AAP’s state incharge for local bodies’ elections in Uttar Pradesh.
{{/usCountry}}“The party has decided to contest all mayoral seats, civic body wards and nagar panchayat seats,” said Sabhajit Singh, AAP’s state incharge for local bodies’ elections in Uttar Pradesh.
{{/usCountry}}“In MCD polls, people have voted for AAP. In the Gujarat assembly election, we have been able to register our presence. We have formed the government in Punjab. The party is taking the Uttar Pradesh civic polls seriously,” said Mahindra Singh, state media incharge, AAP.
The party has also started the process of screening candidates.
It has already organised 1000 meetings of party workers since November in all municipal corporations and nagar panchayats across Uttar Pradesh. Seventy-seven AAP office-bearers have been given the responsibility to conduct these meetings.
The party has also organised “gandagi hatao, jhadu lagao” (cleanliness campaign) in all nagar panchayats across the state to highlight poor sanitary conditions.
In its ongoing campaign for civic polls, the AAP has attacked the Yogi Adityanath government on the lack of infrastructure and facilities in government-run primary schools.
AAP’s most formidable poll plank in civic polls will be Delhi government’s successful education policy and mohalla clinics. The party will showcase government schools in Delhi during campaign for civic polls in the state.
The AAP had already carried out a campaign “Selfie With Government School”. Under this campaign, AAP workers across the state have taken selfies with such government-run primary schools in Uttar Pradesh, which are in poor state.
The ruling BJP, which came to power in the state in March 2017 and thereafter won the second term in March 2022, has also started the process for screening candidates for the civic polls.