NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday did not explicitly mention its stand on a tie-up with the Congress for 2019 even as it asserted the focus was on ending the “tyrannical rule of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah”.The AAP national executive also decided to monitor the emerging political equations before taking a call on joining a grand alliance of opposition parties.
At the Chief Minister’s residence, candidate selection and strategy to fight both the BJP and the Congress were discussed by the top leadership. The party said it would fight to ensure justice for farmers, whom neither of the two parties were concerned about. “The country is under the tyrannical rule of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. We will fight with all our might in all the seats where we have good presence to free the country from them. We will do everything possible to get rid of the present Central government.” senior AAP leader and Cabinet minister Gopal Rai told the media, after the meeting of the party leaders.
Meanwhile, the option was kept open about a probable alliance with the Congress or being a part of the Grand Alliance depending on the situation in the next few months. Punjab unit leader Bhagwat Singh Mann and farmer wing leader Rampal Jat were among the 22 senior members who attended the national executive meet at Civil Lines.
“The Congress has gone back on its promise regarding waiver of farm loans. There are many ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ in its policy… After forming government in three states, the Congress is saying that short term loans will be written off. This is fraud,” Jat said. Eager to not repeat the mistake of 2014, the Arvind Kejriwal-led party also decided to focus on a limited number of Lok Sabha constituencies.
In 2014, AAP fielded candidates from almost 400 seats across the country but won only four in Punjab. In the same state, the party performance was also not something to be proud in the Assembly elections.
According to party insiders, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and a few seats in NCR and Goa are the main target areas, where there is a solid presence of AAP workers on ground. On Saturday, the party’s National Council will meet in which more than 400 members from across the country will gather to discuss the future prospect of the party.