Kejriwal Declares Dual Strategy In Haryana: AAP To Go Solo In State Elections, Join Forces With INDI Alliance For Lok Sabha Polls

Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal announced on Sunday (28 January) that the party will independently contest all 90 assembly seats in Haryana, as reported by The Indian Express.

However, for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in the state, AAP will be part of the opposition INDI Alliance.

The Lok Sabha polls are scheduled for April-May, while the Haryana Assembly elections are set for October this year.

Kejriwal's declaration follows statements from Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader and former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who expressed reluctance towards an alliance with AAP in Haryana for the Lok Sabha polls, where there are 10 parliamentary seats.

Speaking at a "Badlav Jansabha" in Jind, Kejriwal stated that AAP would contest all 90 assembly seats in the state, marking the first time the party contests all seats.

In the 2019 assembly elections, AAP had contested 46 seats but failed to secure any, with a vote share of 0.48 per cent.

Kejriwal highlighted the party's extensive organisation, claiming that each village has a committee of 15-20 members, and approximately 1.25 lakh individuals have become AAP office-bearers in the past six months.

He also promised round-the-clock free electricity in Haryana. Kejriwal compared it to the policies implemented in Delhi and Punjab, both governed by AAP.

He further criticised the Haryana government's plan to send 10,000 youths to Israel for jobs and accused the BJP-led government of failing to provide jobs to the youth.

Taking a dig at the misuse of probe agencies, Kejriwal alleged that the central government has deployed agencies like CBI, ED, Delhi Police, and the I-T Department to target him.

He outlined five demands — uninterrupted power, free healthcare, free education, employment, and control of inflation — and stated that he would quit politics if these demands were fulfilled.

Recent setbacks for AAP include the resignations of national joint secretary Nirmal Singh, state vice-president Chitra Sarwara, and state campaign committee chairman Ashok Tanwar, who joined other political parties after quitting AAP.