AAP not to contest Lok Sabha polls in Maharashtra


Team Udayavani, Jan 21, 2019, 7:07 AM IST

Mumbai: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday said “as of now” it has decided not to contest the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra.

The party will fight Lok Sabha polls in four states – Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and Goa. But, it has decided not to contest in Maharashtra, AAP’s national spokesperson Preeti Sharma Menon told PTI on Monday.

“As of now, we are not contesting any seat in Maharashtra, but the party may take a view on a few seats if we feel it will help defeat the BJP,” she said.

The party wants to save democracy from the “clutches” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah, so “we will devote all our strength on the seats where we are certain we can defeat them,” Menon said.

However, former AAP leader Mayank Gandhi said the decision shows the party is “dead” in Maharashtra, which has 48 Lok Sabha seats – the second highest number after Uttar Pradesh which has 80 parliamentary constituencies.

“Encouraging the worst kind of leadership at the behest of volunteers destroyed AAP’s ethos and soul. Only self-seeking people are left in the party now,” he claimed.

Gandhi said if the Arvind Kejriwal-led party, which rules the Delhi Assembly, contests in Maharashtra, it may not even get a few thousand votes and become a “laughing stock”. Notably, the party had drawn a blank in the state in the 2014 general elections.

Dissident AAP leader Ravi Srivastava, who was one of its founder members, said the party’s position in Maharashtra was quite “weak”, so it was a wise decision not to contest the Lok Sabha polls in the state.

“The AAP fared very badly in the recent Assembly polls in Hindi heartland states. It couldn’t garner more than the NOTA (none of the above option for voters) votes polled. The party has miserably failed to expand its base outside Delhi and even its MPs and MLAs are quitting. So, it is a wise decision,” he said.

Since the last two years, AAP has suffered a setback in Maharashtra after its prominent leaders like Mayank Gandhi and Anjali Damania left the party. Its state executive committee was also disbanded sometime back.

Udayavani is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel and stay updated with the latest news.

Top News

“Coming soon.. 2025”: KL Rahul and Athiya Shetty announce first pregnancy

Unauthorized bus stops at signals fuel traffic woes and safety concerns

SC notice to Karnataka, DK Shivakumar on CBI plea against withdrawal of consent by state govt

Will remain active in politics till my last breath: JD(S) patriarch & ex-PM Deve Gowda

BJP calls Congress govt ‘laughing stock’ as ‘samosa politics’ heats up in Himachal

Chikkaballapur: Yoga teacher feigns death by holding her breath, escapes murder bid

World Bunts Summit to be held in Mumbai on December 7

Related Articles More

No greater feeling than serving those in need: Outgoing CJI D Y Chandrachud

CJI Chandrachud: A legacy of landmark verdicts that shaped society and some controversy too

Akhilesh Yadav attacks BJP on demonetisation anniversary

DeMo paved way for monopolies by devastating MSMEs, informal sector: Rahul on note ban anniversary

Comply with order allowing minority student to attend St Stephen’s College: HC tells DU

MUST WATCH

Gho Pooja in Deepavali Festival

Melukote Deepavali

Ganapathi Co-operative Society Ltd

Udayavani Chinnara Banna 2024

Annapoorna Aahar | Food Places In Mysore


Latest Additions

“Coming soon.. 2025”: KL Rahul and Athiya Shetty announce first pregnancy

Unauthorized bus stops at signals fuel traffic woes and safety concerns

No greater feeling than serving those in need: Outgoing CJI D Y Chandrachud

Baikampady: Here, even elederly have to crawl under trains to cross tracks!

CJI Chandrachud: A legacy of landmark verdicts that shaped society and some controversy too

Thanks for visiting Udayavani

You seem to have an Ad Blocker on.
To continue reading, please turn it off or whitelist Udayavani.