NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party is looking to challenge the ruling Bharatiya Janta Party in Uttar Pradesh. The party is looking to register its presence in the biggest state of the country by contesting the Assembly and rural body elections.
To ensure success in the panchayat polls next year, Delhi Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam has been made AAP’s its panchayat polls in-charge in the state.
Exuding confidence about the party’s organisational strength, Gautam told The Morning Standard that AAP will have a local unit in every district of the state by March 2021.
Talking to The Morning Standard, he said that the AAP government’s education and electricity schemes in the national capital are getting very good response in villages of Uttar Pradesh. Here are a few excerpts of his interview:
AAP is considered a party limited to urban pockets. How is the response in villages so far?
During my visits in Uttar Pradesh recently, I was surprised to learn that the work done under the Delhi Model of Governance is being talked about across the state.
In rural areas, people are talking about the education and electricity models of the national capital. This is very reassuring that the Aam Aadmi Party is doing the right work for the people.
What’s your strategy to register a presence in the panchayat polls?
We are going to the villages of Uttar Pradesh telling people about the schemes and programmes implemented in Delhi under the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government. People are very interested in hearing and talking about it.
By March 2021, AAP will have a presence in every village of Uttar Pradesh. People are fed up with the poor state of law and order, education and expensive electricity in the state.
The AAP is spreading its message through social media platforms and ground-level campaigns. In the next three months, I will cover all the 75 districts. We will hold workshops for our members to spread the message of the party and what it represents— a change in the political scenario of Uttar Pradesh.
What is the agenda for the upcoming polls?
After AAP announced its contention to contest the assembly and panchayat polls, the people have to give us a very good response.
AAP will raise the issues of the poor law and order situation, schools and expensive electricity in the upcoming polls.