For the time being, the AAP in Karnataka appears unfazed by the political clout of the BJP, Congress, and Janata Dal (S). The AAP is optimistic about its chances in Karnataka, despite the fact that it was unable to work its spell on the electorate in Gujarat during the assembly elections in December 2023. According to a party source, the party is moving through with its plans to run for all 224 assembly seats.
“People like the education, career, solid reputation, and honest background profiles of our candidates. They have been employed for between six months and a year,” the party source said.
The party is steadily building up its ground presence, notably in Bengaluru, the state capital where corporation elections are scheduled to take place. The party in Karnataka is focused on addressing civic issues and promoting health and educational services. The party is anticipated to rely heavily on programmes like the 200 free power units and free bus rides for women that it successfully utilised to oust the Delhi government in its campaign for the Karnataka assembly, news agency IANS reported.
Arvind Kejriwal, the party’s founder and the mayor of Delhi, along with other senior party figures would reportedly start visiting Karnataka frequently in the near future to streamline and perfect the election campaign.
Dilip Pandey, the party’s chief whip in the Delhi Assembly and the AAP’s election coordinator for Karnataka, had previously told the media that “we are making preparations to confront the Assembly election with a new team, which will be unveiled soon.”
The AAP has always been a bit of a political maverick ever since it first emerged on the Delhi scene approximately 10 years ago, despite the fact that other parties may question the prudence of making such a move prior to the polls. The party went on to win the Punjab assembly elections late last year, in addition to sweeping the Delhi assembly elections thrice and the most recent Delhi Municipal Corporation poll, IANS reported.
“Despite predictions that AAP would win zero seats, silent voters will support the party, as they did in Delhi in 2013. In Karnataka, it will be repeated. The BJP and the Congress employ similar tactics, but only AAP can connect with the general public,” Jagadish V. Sadam, a party supporter and former state media coordinator said.
