AAP opts out of Lok Sabha elections in Chhattisgarh to support I.N.D.I Alliance candidates

Raipur
After facing a disappointing outcome in the Chhattisgarh Assembly elections and amid the arrest of their national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has made the decision to abstain from contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in the state. Despite fielding candidates in various constituencies during the 2023 assembly elections, the party has now chosen to forgo participation in the Lok Sabha polls in Chhattisgarh. Sources within the party revealed that AAP intends to extend its support to the I.N.D.I Alliance candidates in Chhattisgarh for the Lok Sabha elections.
Numerous leaders affiliated with the Aam Aadmi Party had been eagerly seeking tickets to contest in the Lok Sabha elections for an extended period. However, following the party’s resolution, a palpable sense of dissatisfaction has emerged among party workers. Nevertheless, party members assert their commitment to backing the candidates of the Congress-led alliance, notwithstanding their decision to refrain from contesting the Lok Sabha elections.

The party’s influence has waned in Chhattisgarh, particularly evident in its lackluster performance during the assembly elections. Subsequent to the electoral outcomes, the AAP’s Chhattisgarh president, Komal Hupendi, tendered his resignation from the party, alongside six other key officials, on January 16. Despite the passage of over two months since their resignations, the appointment of a new president for the party remains pending.

During the assembly elections, efforts were made by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who conducted six rallies and roadshows in Chhattisgarh. However, these endeavors failed to translate into electoral victories, with the party unable to secure any seats in the state assembly.

The AAP had been actively engaged in groundwork in Chhattisgarh, endeavoring to bolster its organizational structure and mount an aggressive campaign. With an alliance with the Congress-led coalition, the party contested in 55 out of the 90 assembly constituencies in Chhattisgarh. However, the decision not to field candidates in the remaining 35 seats prompted discontent among party workers.

The voting percentage for the AAP witnessed no significant change. In the 2018 assembly elections, the party contested 85 seats, during which neither Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal nor any prominent campaigners from outside the state were involved in the campaigning. The campaign was predominantly led by local party leaders. The party secured 0.93 percent of the votes in the 2018 assembly elections, a figure which remained consistent in the recent electoral cycle.