AAP trying to make inroad in MP poll arena

AAP’s Madhya Pradesh in charge and cabinet minister in Delhi government Gopal Rai on Wednesday expressed confidence that the Madhya Pradesh electorate would gravitate towards his party as they are fed up with both the BJP and the Congress.

The AAP has already announced 119 candidates in the 230-strong state Assembly for the forthcoming election. Also, the party has declared its state convenor and noted activist Alok Agrawal as its chief ministerial candidate.

Inaugurating a two-day training camp of the party workers in Bhopal, Rai said the AAP would focus on core issues close to the common man such as education, health, farmers, employment and women’s security.

He accused the BJP and the Congress of attempting to divide people in the name of caste and religion to garner votes.

AAP had raised hopes of emerging as a credible third front in Madhya Pradesh soon after it formed government in Delhi in 2013.

A large number of activists, retired officers and public-spirited individuals joined the party. A majority of them were associated with the Anna Hazare’s movement against corruption.

However, as the party began to disintegrate with prominent leaders deserting it, AAP’s following drastically dropped in the state.

Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) leader Medha Patkar’s quitting the party posed an existential crisis for AAP in the state.

She is active in Madhya Pradesh, particularly in Narmada valley in western part of the state, since 1986 and enjoys considerable following. Now, Patkar’s old aide Alok Agrawal heads the party.