The pre-poll tie-up between Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Sanyukt Samaj Morch (SSM), a political front floated by 22 constituents of the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha that led the farmers’ agitation, seems to be a distant probability after the Arvind Kejriwal’s party’s list of candidates for the Punjab assembly elections in 2022.
Buoyed by the victory in the Chandigarh civic elections, the AAP on Tuesday declared another list of candidates, taking the number of total contenders to 88. After a sizeable seat allotment, AAP is looking to distribute tickets to new faces and first timers thus leaving little scope for an alliance with the newly formed Sanyukt Samaj Morcha.
Senior AAP leaders admitted that it was the decision of party’s national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to take a chance on new faces but known names in their area. The first list that the AAP had declared comprised primarily of all the sitting MLAs of the party.
Even though the party is yet to declare the Chief Ministerial candidate, party leaders in Punjab say Kejriwal has made it clear that the party would be fielding those who have not been represented from other parties. “The party leadership is of the opinion that the candidates should primarily be political novice and not crossovers from other parties of the state,” said a senior AAP leader.
With 88 candidates already being declared and 29 remaining, it now seems unlikely that AAP will forge any pre-poll alliance with the Sanyukt Samaj Morcha. The Sanyukt Samaj Morcha has also so far remained non-committal about a tie-up despite reported confabulations with farmer leader Balbir Singh Rajewal, the face of the newly floated Morcha.
Denying any kind of an alliance with AAP, senior state leaders said there would be no pre-poll alliance with any party or the SSM. Punjab-based AAP leaders said a post-poll alliance could not be ruled out depending on the outcome of the election. “AAP is not in favour of allying with any local party as the central leadership feels it would not be able to give the people the same kind of governance that the leadership is promising during its rally in various parts of the state,” said a senior leader.
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