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Business News/ Politics / Policy/  Critical year for AAP as it looks to expand
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Critical year for AAP as it looks to expand

After 2 years in power in Delhi, AAP faces big test in Goa and Punjab assembly elections

The work done by the AAP government in Delhi featured in the party’s campaigns for the assembly elections in Punjab and Goa.Premium
The work done by the AAP government in Delhi featured in the party’s campaigns for the assembly elections in Punjab and Goa.

New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Delhi government, the first non-Congress, non-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) administration in the city-state, completes two years on Tuesday. After its landslide victory in Delhi in 2015, this year will be critical for the party as it looks to expand to other states.

AAP, which has contested assembly elections in Punjab and Goa for the first time, currently holds power only in Delhi. In Punjab, it is taking on the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)-BJP combine and the Congress, while in Goa, it is taking on ruling BJP and opposition party Congress. Voting for both states took place on 4 February, and results will be declared on 11 March.

This year, while AAP is looking to contest assembly elections in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state of Gujarat, there is also a key municipal election coming up in the national capital.

The party, which sees itself as an alternative to the BJP and Congress, has already begun preparing for the elections in Gujarat. AAP national convener and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has visited the state and addressed a public meeting.

“2017 is very big for the AAP. There are assembly polls in three key states. We have already begun preparations in Gujarat," said an AAP leader.

Municipal polls in Delhi will be held in the first half of this year.

“Municipal elections are crucial for the AAP. Being a union territory, there are a lot of decisions which cannot be made by the elected government. A win in the municipal elections will give the party more ground to implement some of its key promises especially in the area of education and public works," said another AAP leader, who too did not wish to be named.

Keeping the upcoming polls in mind, the AAP government has asked their ministers to present report cards of the work undertaken by them in the last two years. On 14 February, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia will present an overall report of the government to the public. The government held a similar program last year as well.

The work done by the AAP government in Delhi also featured in the party’s campaigns in the assembly polls in Punjab and Goa.

The Delhi unit of BJP, meanwhile, has started a yatra to highlight the “failures" of the AAP government on various fronts including water supply, electricity, healthcare and installation of CCTV cameras. Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari said that the march would apprise the public of the government’s failures and how it has misused power.

AAP came to power for the second time in 2015 after winning 67 out of the 70 assembly constituencies in the national capital. The party, which started as a mass movement against corruption, became a mainstream political party and fought its first Delhi election in December 2013.

The government it formed, however, collapsed in 49 days.

Analysts say the party has been smart in picking the states to contest.

“AAP decided to stay away from polls in Uttar Pradesh, which was the largest state going to polls along with Punjab and Goa. They have been wise on their selection. Goa is a small state. They managed their campaign well in Punjab. If they manage to win in any of these states or even come second, they will be in a great position at the time of Gujarat polls," said Ghanshyam Dev, a Punjab-based political analyst and head of the department of political science at DAV College, Chandigarh.

PTI contributed to this story.

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Published: 13 Feb 2017, 12:54 AM IST
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