Aam Admi Party’s spectacular debut performance in Delhi Assembly polls and reports that it was considering to field its candidates in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections also has sent shivers down the spine of political parties in Uttar Pradesh.
Although the major players categorically rejected assertions that AAP will have any ‘impact’ in UP, they clearly appear apprehensive.
While the ordinary people felt that the AAP can play a role in the LS elections, especially in constituencies having a large urban vote bank, the political parties opined that AAP will have no effect in the state.
“There is no corruption in UP. The Samajwadi Party government has taken tough action against corrupt elements. In such a situation AAP will have nothing to agitate against in UP,” said SP spokesman Rajendra Chaudhary.
Congress leaders also think that AAP will have little or no impact as the ‘situation here is different than Delhi’.
“There already are four major parties in the state. People have different options,” a senior Congress leader told to Deccan Herald here.
BJP too categorically rejected the assertion that AAP’s foray in LS polls in the state can impact the electoral outcome.
“People of UP have shown their preference for Narendra Modi. It is evident from the huge turnouts at Modi’s rallies. AAP has never taken up the issues confronting the common people in UP while BJP has been fighting for them,” said BJP leader Vijay Bahadur Pathak. However, the ordinary people feel that AAP should expand beyond Delhi.
“AAP must come to UP now. It will change the prevailing political culture here and will weed out the criminal elements,” said Dinesh Kumar, a former professor with Lucknow University.
“AAP’s arrival in UP may sound the death knell of caste based politics,” opined Dr. Bal Govind Verma, a communication expert.
AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, a resident of Ghaziabad, earlier this year had addressed a public meeting at Farrukhabad, the Parliamentary constituency of the union minister and senior Congress leader Salman Khursheed after allegations of irregularities against the latter’s Trust.
