Bolstered by its landslide victory in the Punjab Assembly elections, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is all set to test waters in Jammu and Kashmir politics with the much-awaited Assembly polls in the union territory likely to be held by the end.of the year
Sources said that two former MLAs from J&K Panthers Party — Balwant Singh Mankotia and Yashpal Kundal — are likely to join the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP in Delhi soon.
While Mankotia and Kundal flew to New Delhi on Thursday, former MLA and the Panthers chief Harshdev Singh’s pictures with Delhi deputy CM and key AAP leader Manish Sisodia appeared on social media.
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Several politicians, former bureaucrats and social activists from J&K were in touch with the AAP leadership in Delhi and in the next few weeks, there will be more joining, they said.
Political observers believe that though “Modi magic” may get the BJP through, the AAP may throw up some surprises and upset “pre-conceived” political equations in J&K during the Assembly polls.
The AAP may spoil the prospects of many “heavyweights” and an “over-confident” BJP in Jammu region while in Kashmir, there is also a chance for the Kejriwal-led party to make an impact.
AAP co-incharge for J&K Salahuddin Khan said their policy is the same for J&K and nothing is hidden.
“We plan to contest all 90 seats and have already started preparing. Akin to Delhi and Punjab, we are focusing on J&K within our limited resources, but we do hard work on the ground,” he said and added that AAP will hold rallies in both Kashmir and Jammu and go full throttle once the elections are announced.
Khan said that Kejriwal and other senior party leaders will hold rallies in J&K once delimitation of the Assembly seats gets over and the Election Commission announces the polls.
However, the BJP leadership claims that AAP’s entry wouldn’t make any impact on its electoral prospects.
In an oblique dig at the AAP, the BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh said, “A political party, which gave a controversial statement on ‘The Kashmir Files’, on the other day announced a comprehensive penetration programme in J&K. This political party has given false promises to the people of Punjab and Delhi.”
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