Arvind Kejriwal’s Gujarat foray: A blessing in disguise for the BJP?

A stronger AAP might finally give the BJP simply what it must tide over what would in any other case be a troublesome battle to win.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal just lately introduced that his celebration will contest all seats within the upcoming Gujarat meeting elections. Addressing a press convention on June 14, Kejriwal mentioned that the state was handled like an orphan throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Kejriwal mentioned that the youth of Gujarat is unemployed in the present day, dad and mom are struggling to get admission for his or her children in faculties and schools, businessmen are scared and farmers are dying by suicide and solely AAP can carry a optimistic change.

Arvind Kejriwal mentioned that the Congress in Gujarat is in BJP’s pockets. He claimed that the federal government faculties and hospitals within the state are in shambles even after 75 years of independence and mentioned that AAP, if elected to energy, can repair them.

The final election in Gujarat noticed a stiff contest between the BJP and the Congress. The Congress managed to cease the BJP at 99 whereas it climbed to 77 seats within the 182-member meeting. Nonetheless, because of defections from Congress and by-poll wins, the BJP elevated its tally to 112 whereas Congress slipped to 65. Whereas no different political events had been capable of emerge as a menace to the BJP within the state, the Aam Aadmi Occasion is upbeat on its current efficiency within the Surat Municipal Company elections the place it gained 27 of 120 seats on its debut.

The entry of Arvind Kejriwal’s celebration in Gujarat, nevertheless, has been topic to plenty of criticism. Just like the previous, in Punjab and Goa for instance, there may be anticipation within the opposition quarters that the AAP might find yourself chopping into Congress votes and in flip, assist the BJP win.

Whereas Kejriwal claims AAP is in Gujarat to carry change, the Congress believes that it has been introduced in by the saffron celebration solely to divide votes. Chatting with FinancialExpress.com, Gujarat Congress Chief Spokesperson Dr. Manish Doshi alleged that AAP is functioning because the BJP’s ‘B-team’. “Modiji took cost as chief minister in 2001. From 2001 to 2017, the vote share and the seats of the Congress have elevated within the state. In 2017, we fell brief by round 15 seats. Rahul ji put in all his full effort and campaigned successfully then. I don’t need to remark extra on AAP as a result of it’s the ‘B’ staff of the BJP…..The query is that they’ve been referred to as right here. The BJP’s politics has been primarily based on polarisation, division of votes within the identify of faith. They may speak large within the first 4 years, will announce large schemes, and when the election comes, they’ll speak about Hindu-Muslim, Mandir-Masjid, Love Jihad. The recipe that they’d for successful elections has completed now. Now they know that even their improvement plank is not going to assist. So they need division of votes to win the ballot,” mentioned Doshi.

He acknowledged that Gujarat stands to lose greater than achieve by the entry of AAP. “Individuals are fed up with the corrupt, anti-people insurance policies of the BJP authorities. The Congress has been preventing democratically towards this for a very long time. We’re preventing for farmers, we’re going to folks and preventing for them. Be it commercialization of schooling, inflation, Aarogya companies or different points, we’re preventing constantly. The folks of Gujarat are fed up with the BJP and its techniques…the Congress is the one choice towards the BJP….I need to ask why the AAP didn’t contest by-polls on 8 seats? What’s the relation between Sanjay Singh and Amit Shah? They must reply this,” mentioned Doshi.

Doshi mentioned that the Congress is taking collectively its leaders and getting ready for the subsequent meeting polls. “Within the subsequent 15 months, we’ll go to folks on a big degree…If there may be any shortcoming inside our organisation, we can even enhance upon it within the coming months,” mentioned Doshi.

When requested about whether or not the Congress will be a part of fingers with AAP in case of a hung meeting, Doshi mentioned that the folks of Gujarat at all times vote for a decisive authorities and there gained’t be any hung meeting.

However, AAP Delhi MLA and Co-Incharge of Gujarat, Gulab Singh instructed FinancialExpress.com that there exists no opposition in Gujarat and other people of the state have been left to undergo. “There is no such thing as a opposition within the state. Inform me one face of Congress or the BJP who’ve credibility within the state. The BJP asks for the vote on Narendra Modi’s identify. Rupani ji has turn into chief minister for the second time. Inform me what’s his achievement? We have now introduced Isudan Gadhvi (a journalist who just lately joined AAP throughout Kejriwal’s go to) who’s among the many prime journalists within the state however has joined AAP. Within the coming days, you will note plenty of standard faces together with non-political and a few good political individuals will be a part of us,” mentioned Singh.

When requested, does it imply that some leaders of BJP or Congress with a clear picture might be a part of AAP within the coming days, Gulab Singh mentioned, “Completely, folks like these might be becoming a member of AAP.”

He mentioned that folks of Gujarat are fed up with each the BJP and the Congress within the state. “They’re two sides of the identical coin.

“Each time the BJP needs MLAs, the Congress provides it to them. Eight MLAs had been offered just lately and the folks of Gujarat noticed this open homicide of democracy. The BJP has been in energy for over 25 years and they’re in energy as a result of the Congress MLAs are offered they usually don’t speak about points affecting the frequent man. They don’t protest towards the BJP on the streets. That is the explanation we’re beginning a march from 28 June,” mentioned Singh.

When requested how he plans to succeed in out to folks forward of the polls, he mentioned that AAP members will go to each village of Gujarat within the coming days to gather COVID dying knowledge. “Our leaders Isudan Gadhvi and Gopal Italia will go to 18000 villages in Gujarat and we’ll accumulate the dying knowledge because of COVID-19. We are going to promise a reduction/compensation package deal identical to Delhi and can announce it if voted to energy. CM Vijay Rupani has not as soon as talked about this (compensation). We are going to assure MSP which no CM gave within the final 27 years. We have now managed the personal college’s price hike in Delhi and promise to do the identical in Gujarat the place privatization and commercialisation of schooling is rampant. Be it the ruling celebration or the opposition celebration, each have their share on this. The excessive price is taking a toll on mum or dad’s pocket. If free electrical energy will be given in Delhi, we can provide it in Gujarat as properly. We are going to hold all of it in our election manifesto. Individuals are AAP with hope,” mentioned the AAP MLA.

Gulab Singh mentioned that it has not been every week for the reason that becoming a member of of Isudan Gadhvi and we have now obtained lakhs of calls from folks expressing their want to be a part of the celebration. “We’re working onerous at floor degree. Our volunteer base is rising. The 18 months to the elections are like a problem for us. We have now to succeed in out to 55,000 cubicles which is one other problem for us. However we’ll do our greatest as folks need a change this time,” mentioned the AAP Gujarat co-incharge.

Whereas each AAP and the Congress are assured of toppling the BJP this time in Narendra Modi’s yard, it will likely be attention-grabbing to see how the brand new political equations and the brand new narratives take form in Gujarat. A stronger AAP might finally give the BJP simply what it must tide over what would in any other case be a troublesome battle to win.