PATNA: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which is increasing its footprint in various poll-bound states like Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh after its resounding victory in the recently-held Punjab assembly elections, is now set to strengthen its support base in Bihar. Former Bihar AAP's organizational secretary Pankaj Priyadarshi said AAP MLA from Badli constituency Ajesh Yadav, a close aide of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, would be on a three-day visit to Bihar, starting from April 21.
Ajesh's visit to Bihar for three days itself shows the importance Kejriwal is attaching to the state. Ajesh, who is in charge of the party's organisational polls, will be meeting former office-bearers of the party's state and district units and also workers during his visit. He will also participate in the party's membership drive, Priyadarshi revealed.
The AAP is expected to start holding its organisational polls in the state soon since its various units were dissolved long back. Pridarshi said that AAP would like to emerge as a third force in the state as people were now completely disenchanted with both the ruling BJP-JD (U) combine and also RJD. He said there were so many people who were eager to join his party but new members would be inducted only after the full scrutiny of their background.
The AAP has not contested any election after the 2014 Lok Sabha election in Bihar but the party would leave no stone unturned to emerge as a strong force ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election in the state, he added.
Priyadarshi said the people of Bihar had enough of caste politics and now his party would give them an alternative by inducting youths with new ideas and a clean image, who were not gripped by the old style of politics, afflicted with casteism and communalism. He said the party would also contest forthcoming civic elections in Bihar and field candidates for Mayor posts if the party gets people with clean image, he added.