With Punjab in its kitty, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is trying to test political waters in the uncharted territory of Himachal Pradesh where Assembly elections are due this year-end. As part of its strategy, the party is considering contesting even the civic body elections scheduled to be held in Shimla next month.
To rejuvenate the cadre and start a recruitment drive, AAP’s Delhi minister Satyendra Jain is scheduled to reach Shimla on Friday and is expected to take out a victory rally to celebrate the success of AAP in Punjab.
Speaking to News18.com, AAP Himachal Pradesh in-charge Ratnesh Gupta said: “The people of Himachal Pradesh, too, are restless for change and we are going to be that change for the state.”
He claimed that the recruitment drive would begin soon even though the state unit already has a 30,000-strong cadre at present. The AAP seems to be experimenting in states where it believes the Congress hasn’t been able to provide an alternative to people and the infighting in Himachal Congress has made decision to make forays into the state sound logical.
But for the party, the challenge seems to be huge. While the BJP has built up a strong organizational structure in the state, the Congress has shown some signs of revival during the recently held by-elections. The Congress managed to win by-elections in Mandi and Arki Lok Sabha constituencies. The party also swept Fatehpur and Jubbal-Kotkhai Assembly segments which were seen as BJP strongholds.
The victory in the bypolls also established that Pratibha Singh will carry forward the political legacy of Virbhadra Singh, six-time Congress chief minister who passed away in July last year. The Congress victory did raise question mark over continuity of Chief Minister Jairam Thakur at the helm, but BJP president JP Nadda cleared the air when he announced that the BJP would contest elections under Thakur.
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