Resurgent AAP fancies its chances of winning

Major opinion polls have predicted advantage Aam Aadmi Party for Saturday’s polls, as it stands in the way of the BJP wresting total control over corridors of power in Delhi.

The AAP had announced candidates for all the 70 seats days ahead of the Election Commission’s announcement of the election date. The idea was to be the first to sound the poll bugle, AAP spokesperson Atishi Marlena says.

But an early announcement of candidates invited some trouble for party as it had to replace three of its nominees after facing flak for giving tickets to netas with dubious track record. It also had to put up with the embarrassment of its leaders joining the BJP ranks.

The resurgent AAP has been accusing the BJP of running a negative campaign in Delhi after its electoral success in state Assembly elections last year. “They (BJP) have been practicing negative, regressive and reactionary politics. They didn’t come out with a manifesto. They don’t have a competent and credible leadership,” AAP leader Ashish Khetan says.

The AAP left no stone unturned to deny the BJP the last minute advantage of parachuting Kiran Bedi as its chief ministerial candidate. Without being too direct in his attack, the AAP chief has been critical of his former colleague and fellow anti-corruption crusader’s sudden entry into the political scene.

On the other hand, the targeting of rural, minority, dalit, women and young voters helped the anti-corruption party consolidate its vote base. Delhi Dialogue, the AAP’s initiative to connect with different segment of voters, also tried capture the voter’s imagination.

“Various sections of the society provided valuable inputs for the AAP manifesto during the three-month Delhi Dialogue. It has also helped in setting the tone for the party’s positive campaign,” the AAP said.

The party’s poll campaign, however, received its major push from its star campaigner Kejriwal who addressed over hundred nukkad jansabhas (street corner meetings). He was party’s answer to the BJP’s campaign that was linked to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity.

“They (the BJP) didn’t had a coherent agenda for Delhi and spent last few weeks attacking AAP and its convenor Arvind Kejriwal viciously,” Khetan says.