Arvind Kejriwal, during a decade of floating the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), managed to win three assembly elections with clear majorities – twice in Delhi and once in Punjab – and achieved national party status. Now, the party is aiming to sweep the Haryana Assembly polls with a similar performance.
In the absence of Kejriwal – who is behind bars in the excise policy case – AAP launched its campaign with his wife Sunita at the forefront. Earlier this week, the party released a list of star campaigners for the state with the chief minister’s name on top, hoping that they will soon be freed and join the campaign. That expectation was fulfilled just two days later on Friday as the Supreme Court granted bail.
In the 2020 Delhi elections, the party’s poll campaign revolved around the idea that Kejriwal is a member of the household – a son and a brother – who is there to serve the city. The results favored the party as AAP won 62 out of 70 seats. In 2015 also, the party has won 67 out of 70 seats.
For Haryana, Kejriwal’s birthplace, the party is targeting a similar campaign.
Talking to News18 about what the party has planned so far, a senior leader said that Haryana shares a border with Delhi and Punjab and one can see the difference when entering the other side.
“The people of Haryana are not very happy with the attitude of other political parties. For Delhi, Kejriwal is a son. But Haryana was no less for him because he was born there. He is one among them and the people there want to have the same privileges as the people in Delhi and Punjab under his leadership,” the AAP leader said.
So far, the party’s campaign, which was launched in July, had only Kejriwal posters, while other leaders, including Bhagwant Mann, Sanjay Singh, Manish Sisodia and Sandeep Pathak, held rallies and roadshows. Almost every week Sunita Kejriwal also visits the country and holds public meetings.
“People connect with Kejriwal. He is not only the biggest face of the party but also the main star campaigner. He was put in jail for ruining the party. But even if he is not here, the party keeps him in mind when planning the campaign. It seems that Lord Ram was banished. Although he was in exile, his ideas and ideology motivated him. Now he is here to guide us and lead the campaign” said the leader.
Winning Haryana is not only critical for AAP’s national party status but also important for expanding its grip – Kejriwal’s long-held ambition.
“A lot of injustice has happened to Kejriwal and his party in the past few months. He will interact with people directly and tell them. The public has come to know that this is a fake case because only one leader got bail and there is no strong evidence against our leader to be arrested. Our release from jail has proved our innocence,” the leader added.
On the future course of action, the leader said that Kejriwal is out and there will be some important meetings over the weekend to finalize the details.
“He just came back yesterday. We will hold a meeting. Of course he will go to the country to campaign and it will be extensive. They will hold rallies and public meetings along with roadshows. We have very positive feedback from the ground. The presence of Kejriwal-ji will increase the fire of the campaign,” said the leader.
Kejriwal is also the party’s star campaigner for the assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir. He will also visit UT but his main focus will be Haryana. The party is also in Haryana. In 2019, out of the 46 seats contested, he lost all his deposits.
“But the party has worked hard for the past few years and we believe things will change this time for AAP,” the leader added.
Commenting on other political parties where there is a war and MPs/MLAs switch sides for better positions or power, the AAP leader said that is not the case. The leader said that although the main leader was missing from the action while in jail, there was no quarrel.
“Even the big political parties are facing a war. How much respect everyone has for Kejriwal and other senior leaders is clear from the fact that even though all the top leaders are in jail, there is no fight for position or power. They all stand together. That is our strength and wealth that true. All this can happen because we prioritize state and public service before benefits and positions,” he said.
Haryana will go to the polls on October 5 and the counting will be completed on October 8. Jammu and Kashmir will hold elections in three phases – September 18, 25 and October 1 – with the same date for counting votes.
