Even as early trends for Gujarat suggest 150+ seats for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which had claimed to emerge big in the state, is content and celebrating the 15% vote share it expects to gain, which could give it the status of a national party within just 10 years of its journey, said senior party leaders and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh on Thursday.
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The initial trends showed that the AAP was leading in six-nine seats. When asked that party chief Arvind Kejriwal had claimed he would form the government in the state, Singh said, “Even the biggest party in the country, the BJP, made claims of win in several states, which they lost. Every party contests to win and claims can go wrong. However, I thank the people of Gujarat from the bottom of my heart for believing in us and giving us the status of a national party, with almost 15% vote share expected. We accept people’s mandate.”
A political party requires at least 6% vote share in four states to be accorded the status of a national party. The AAP, so far, had it in Delhi, Punjab and Goa. Now with Gujarat, they will be recognised as a national party.
With five-six seats still going to the AAP in the state, whose votes did it eat into? “It doesn’t matter. People voted for us. We are happy that just within 10 years of emerging as a party, we are able to acquire the status of a national party. It’s not a moment of gloom, but one of pride and joy. We are happy with it,” said Singh.
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The mood at the party office remained celebratory with patriotic songs such as ‘Rang De Basanti Chola’ continuing to play from a day before, when the AAP won the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) polls.
When asked that now with the national status, is the AAP preparing for the upcoming 2024 general elections, Singh said, “It is definitely going to be ‘Modi vs Kejriwal’ in these elections and the party hopes to make even bigger gains.”
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