Last Update: February 25, 2023, 10:45 IST
AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal will participate in a mega rally in central Karnataka’s Davanagere district to launch the official campaign. (Twitter @ArvindKejriwal)
The party’s national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, along with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, is set to launch the official campaign in the poll-bound state on March 4.
The party’s national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, along with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, is set to officially launch the election campaign in the state on March 4.
According to senior party leaders, a massive rally has been planned in Davangere district in the southern state’s central region to launch the official campaign. “Both the party chief and the Punjab chief minister will sound the bugle for the official campaign for the elections to begin with a massive rally in central Karnataka. All other programmes, including street meetings, rallies and road shows, will follow after that,” said Dilip Pandey, senior AAP leader and the party’s election in-charge in the state.
Assembly elections in the southern state, which is currently ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), are likely to be held in April-May. Party leaders said the AAP had earlier announced a “unique” manifesto for the state, for which consultations are underway.
“It will be a three-part manifesto – region-specific, state-specific and local issues – for which region- and state-specific issues are being deliberated upon by the central leadership, while candidates are discussing local concerns . It is a large state with six cultural districts and hence, the issues vary and require focused solutions,” said Pandey.
Big issues like eradication of corruption from governance, large scale unemployment and poor condition of farmers will be major issues in the party’s manifesto. “Schools and hospitals in the state are in poor condition and need major improvement. Similar is the condition of farmers in a state with an agro-based economy. Apart from this, along with free electricity and water, women’s safety will also figure in our manifesto.
Asked when the list of candidates would be declared, Pandey said it would be out only after March 4. The party is currently running a ‘Jhaadu Uthao, BJP Bhagao’ campaign in various districts, which is meant to tell people that the broom (Broom – AAP’s election symbol) is the only solution for the state, asking them to “Kejriwal ko a chance”. requested to give
With several corruption cases emerging from the state recently, it has become an issue that even the ruling party in Karnataka is promising to address in its ongoing campaign.
Last month, the central leadership of AAP had dissolved its state and district units ahead of the elections. A new structure was announced up to the district level, while teams will now be announced at the block and circle (a gram panchayat consisting of 10 villages) levels.
“There are about 58,000 booths in the state and in the last few months we have come in contact with a lot of new volunteers through our ‘Gram Sampark Abhiyaan’ where we have gone to each and every village and taluka to form organisations,” he said. Added.
AAP plans to contest all the 224 assembly seats in the state. In 2018, it contested 28 out of 224 seats, but could not win a single seat. With the state’s ruling BJP facing a host of difficulties including corruption and infighting, and the Congress trying to regain lost ground, the AAP – still new to the southern political scene – is making this election an interesting one. Can change in competition.
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