By Express News Service
GUWAHATI: Enthused by the Punjab election results, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has set its sights on Assam among other states.
The party is viewing the upcoming Guwahati Municipal Council (GMC) elections as the springboard as it tries to strengthen its base in Assam. It is contesting in 39 of the 60 wards.
In the civic elections held last month, the AAP had opened its account by winning two wards in Tinsukia and Lakhimpur.
For 10 years since it had spread its wings to Assam in 2012, the party remained largely moribund. The success in Punjab made it step up its activities in the BJP-ruled state.
AAP’s Assam state coordinator and national council member Bhaben Chowdhury said a lot of people joined the party in recent times, emboldening it to contest the GMC elections.
“We were working from before. A lot of people joined us and we thought we should contest the GMC elections,” Chowdhury said.
He said 159 people had applied for tickets and the candidates were shortlisted based on a survey and feedback given by “volunteers”. He was optimistic the people would embrace the party.
The AAP has its units in all districts of Assam and Chowdhury said he had proposed to party’s central leadership to be serious with Tripura.
“Our activities are observed by the central leaders. We have to see the interest of people in AAP at the grassroots-level. Based on it, we will decide where in Northeast we should work. I have suggested that we should focus on Tripura next,” Chowdhury said.
Assam had two Assembly elections (2016 and 2021) since the AAP’s foray into the state. It did not contest any of those.
Chowdhury said, “We will also contest the panchayat elections in Assam. We usually fight smaller elections before fighting an Assembly election.”
The AAP’s party organisation in Tripura has virtually remained defunct. It has no base in the rest of the states in the Northeast.
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