R Krishna Das
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday accelerated its election campaign in Chhattisgarh, giving an overt signal that its main contest will be with the Congress instead of BJP in the state.
AAP founder and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal accompanied by his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann on Saturday landed in Chhattisgarh Capital to attend party workers’ convention. Kejriwal had addressed a public rally in Bilaspur last month.
Kejriwal trained his gun on the Congress party that is in power in Chhattisgarh instead of BJP that banks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bag votes in the ensuing assembly elections due in November this year. In the convention, Kejriwal announced 10 guarantees, promises free electricity, allowance for women, unemployed—by and large all the schemes that Congress government-led by Bhupesh Baghel is focussing on in the state.
The AAP leaders vowed to give Rs 3,000 monthly allowance to the unemployed youths—Rs 500 more than what Bhupesh Baghel government is providing. Besides, Kejriwal promised to improve the school and health infrastructure as his government did in Delhi. It is yet another challenge for the Congress party as Bhupesh Baghel has also implemented some good schemes in the sector that have received good response.
The Atmanand School Scheme and the Chhattisgarh Haat Bazaar Clinic have been the flagship schemes of the Bhupesh Baghel government that have yielded desired results among people. The AAP leaders have also promised free electricity and others.
By offering freebies, the AAP is literally trying to take a leaf out of Congress’ strategy worked out for the 2018 state polls that trounced the BJP’s 15-year-rule. The Congress party has announced many sops including loan waiver, electricity concession, higher price for paddy etc.
The AAP leaders however did not launch a scathing attack on BJP’s central government and the Prime Minister on whose face the party plans to contest Chhattisgarh elections. The development has a deep political significance as the AAP party has earlier hinted it will contest all 90 assembly seats in the state.
In 2018, the AAP entered the electoral fray in Chhattisgarh for the first time and fielded candidates in 85 of the total 90 seats. None of its candidates even succeeded in saving the deposit. The political situation is however different in 2023 as AAP is set to emerge as the third force and fill the space created by the weakening Chhattisgarh Janta Congress founded by Ajit Jogi. After his passing away, the party that shared around seven per cent votes in 2018, slowly started losing the grip.
The direct challenge of AAP to Congress in Chhattisgarh will also cast its shadow in the national politics. For, both are allies of the opposition bloc INDIA.
Just two days ago, the AAP leaders castigated the Congress after one of its leaders announced to contest all the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi. Given the development in Delhi, the Congress leaders in Chhattisgarh will have to remain a mute spectator if AAP contests against it in all 90 seats.
Ultimately, it will eat into Congress votes that will not be a good sign for the alliance planning to take on BJP and Narendra Modi in next year’s general elections.
