Delhi MLA and Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Punjab co-in-charge Raghav Chadha says the celebration is on the lookout for a chief ministerial candidate for Punjab who places the state earlier than itself, particularly within the present political circumstances. In an in depth dialog with The Indian Express, the AAP chief shared the celebration’s roadmap for the 2022 meeting elections.
How totally different is the political local weather for AAP in Punjab within the 2022 meeting elections as in comparison with the 2017 elections?
In 2017 AAP was beginning its journey in Punjab. We are wiser, extra mature, now we perceive higher the soiled politics and the politics of collusion that each Akali and Congress play. We additionally realized to make Punjab affluent. We have gained useful expertise in making ‘Khushhal Punjab’.
In that case, this time, what are the areas you’ll give attention to, on which you’ll strategy the voters?
The celebration will quickly begin its marketing campaign. The detailed manifesto can even include the primary guarantees that we’ll make to the individuals of Punjab. As already indicated by (Party Convenor and Chief Minister of Delhi) Mr (Arvind) Kejriwal on the political rally in Bagha Purana, one of many key points goes to be the promise of electrical energy. There is a state of affairs in Punjab the place you don’t get electrical energy, the availability is erratic and also you get common and exorbitant payments. The state of affairs is identical because it was in Delhi in 2013 when AAP got here to energy there. Within a couple of weeks the AAP authorities was in a position to rework the ability sector and now we’re giving 24X7 and free electrical energy.
There have been considerations over the route the celebration was taking with regard to radical parts within the state forward of the 2017 elections. What is being performed to handle these considerations?
If you may have any considerations, you’ll clear up them. If there have been some misunderstandings, they can even be rectified and resolved. You imply prosperity of Punjab. As somebody who has been a founding member of the celebration and has been an integral a part of the celebration since its inception, I can let you know that you just stand for prosperity, peace and concord. It might be our endeavor to advertise brotherhood, peace and communal concord within the nation and Punjab.
You are actually spending lots of time within the state. What is your opinion concerning the 2022 elections?
One factor that’s constant throughout Punjab is that folks have develop into disenchanted with the Akalis and the Congress. They do not actually contemplate them as two separate events. They contemplate them as one pressure and these two work in tandem with one another they usually have colluded to loot and loot Punjab. They see you as an possibility that offers them a ray of hope. Even individuals who doubt you say that we have now tried different events and now we’ll go for you. These are the issues I hear once I journey the size and breadth of Punjab.
So will you see this assist translate into good candidates for the celebration? Have you began on the lookout for higher high quality candidates?
Candidate choice is a course of that may start and finish on the shut of the election. We are nonetheless seven to eight months away. However, so far as group constructing is worried, a really sturdy group has been inbuilt the previous few months. I don’t imply solely state, district and light-weight in-charge.
I imply even in villages. Now I can choose up any village and say that I’ve a powerful group there with 100 members, 80 energetic staff and so on. From organizational viewpoint we are actually ready to beat and beat any political celebration in Punjab.
The largest query within the minds of the individuals of Punjab is who would be the AAP’s chief ministerial candidate? Can you reply this?
Elections are fought on marketing campaign, guarantees and credibility. Every political celebration has its personal technique. The technique within the final election was to not announce the candidate. We had a presidium of leaders. We nonetheless have the leaders’ presidium however the technique has been modified and we’ll announce the CM face. The procession can even be proven, the groom can even be seen and the bridegroom will present up and contest elections. The most necessary criterion in wanting on the future Chief Minister is that one ought to prioritize the prosperity of Punjab and never his private ambition. Someone who represents Punjab and somebody who will dedicate himself for the welfare of Punjab.
What is your tackle the latest break up from AAP by which many leaders have joined the Congress?
I’d not prefer to waste my breath talking on opportunists. People who win an election on the image of 1 celebration, contest on the image of one other celebration after which be a part of the opposite celebration. These persons are opportunists and time shouldn’t be wasted on them.
The Congress authorities has introduced a number of welfare measures together with jobs in authorities service, implementation of pay fee and scheduled caste scholarships. The Akalis have joined palms with the BSP. Doesn’t this dilute the recognition of their favor?
The anti-Dalit mindset of the Captain Amarinder Singh-led authorities is uncovered by the truth that the Post Matric SC scholarship scheme, which impacts the lives of two lakh Dalit households, was stalled and possibly routed illegally And there was a monetary scandal. . AAP MLAs needed to sit on an indefinite quick to make sure that the federal government releases the cash and we have been ready to take action yesterday. No stage or scale of symbolism can now wash away the sins of the federal government. As far because the illustration of Dalits is worried, the Leader of Opposition in AAP is Dalit, the Deputy Leader of Opposition is Dalit and ladies. These are the one two positions {that a} political celebration in opposition constitutionally holds. On the opposite hand you may have the Akalis who, by their very own acceptance, lack assist among the many Dalit group and needed to borrow the assist of a Dalit celebration. This is the state of Punjab the place one celebration is anti-Dalit and the opposite believes that it isn’t to the liking of Dalits.
What concerning the illustration of ladies within the celebration and in contesting elections? This can also be a serious subject as they aren’t given enough illustration by the political events in Punjab.
Absolutely. This is an important subject and really near my coronary heart as a result of I contemplate myself a feminist. Our Deputy Leader of the Opposition is a lady. You are seeing just a few ladies within the meeting who’re from AAP. So this has been our effort and we’ll work in the direction of bringing increasingly ladies into the politics of the state.
How do you see the farmers’ motion influencing the elections?
I don’t have a look at the farmers’ motion via a political lens. This is a clear motion away from politics. But as a result of determination makers are members of political events and so politics creeps in. The means I see it, it’s that every one three events – BJP, Akali and Congress – are notorious within the eyes of the Indian farmer. The BJP as a result of he drafted the invoice, the Congress as a result of Capt. Drafted, accepted and even later. He (former Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal) resigned solely after farmers protested. The solely celebration that has supported the farmers is the AAP, whether or not by road protests, by Arvind Kejriwal tearing up payments within the meeting or by disrupting the Rajya Sabha session when payments are being handed by diluting parliamentary practices. We have helped the farmers in each means within the type of ‘Nishkam Seva’ with langar, water and so on. on the borders of Delhi.
Do you see infighting in Congress as a chance?
The ruling celebration is in a dilapidated situation and whereas different political events needed to sabotage the Congress for electoral positive factors, the celebration has destroyed itself. There has been an entire organizational collapse within the Congress because the infighting shouldn’t be confined solely to the highest management, however down the road to the ultimate organizational stage. From Punjab’s viewpoint, there are eight CM candidates in Congress together with Captain Amarinder combating amongst themselves. At a time when they need to battle towards covid and different evils of the society, they’re combating amongst themselves. This is a really unhappy state of affairs. The lust for energy has blinded these eight claimants.
Are the doorways nonetheless open for Navjot Singh Sidhu?
…whether or not the door is open or not will be answered provided that the particular person is standing on the door. If he is on the door I’ll reply that query. First you affirm whether or not he’s on the door or not.
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With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
