AIZAWL: In a bid to expand it base in the Northeast, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has decided to contest the upcoming assembly elections in Mizoram, polling for which is slated to be held on November 7.
“However, the number of seats in which the party will contest (in Mizoram) will be announced shortly,” AAP’s Northeast in-charge, Rajesh Sharma while briefing the media in New Delhi on Monday.
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“During a meeting held yesterday under the chairmanship of AAP’s national convener Arvind Kejriwal, the decision to expand the organization and contest elections in the Northeastern states was made. A coordination committee and a Northeast cell will be formed for organizational expansion,” Sharma said.
Sharma mentioned that the people in the Northeast are grappling with various issues, including education, healthcare, inflation, and unemployment, and “they believe that the AAP can provide solutions to these problems”.
“With their aspirations in mind, the party has made this decision,” Sharma said.
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During this event, AAP’s Nagaland state convener, Asu Keyho, and Tripura’s assistant-in-charge, Abuzam Umapada Luwang, were also present.
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“In a meeting with Arvind Kejriwal yesterday, there was a detailed discussion on various issues faced by the people in the northeastern states, as well as the expansion of the AAP’s organization and upcoming elections. It was decided during this meeting that the AAP will establish a Northeast Coordination Committee for expansion in the northeastern states,” Sharma said.
Additionally, the AAP leader informed that the party has decided to form a Northeast Cell “for the people of the Northeast”.
Furthermore, the AAP will also participate in the upcoming Mizoram assembly elections.
The details of the number of seats contested and the constituencies will be provided by the state committee of the party, and an announcement regarding the same will be made soon, he said.
AAP’s Northeast in charge mentioned that building the organization and participating in elections in the resource-constrained northeastern region is quite challenging.
“The chief ministers in these states often treat the state as their family estate, and government contracts are typically awarded to their family members and friends. Government schools, hospitals, and roads in the northeastern states are in poor condition, and inflation is on the rise. Unemployment is a significant problem, with the northeastern states having high rates,” he said.
Sharma further said the people of the Northeast believe that only the AAP can accomplish these tasks.
“Therefore, the people in these states also expect that if it can happen in Delhi and Punjab, why not in their states? Hence, they desire the expansion of the AAP’s organization and participation in elections in all the North-Eastern states. Keeping this public aspiration in mind, the decision to contest the Mizoram elections was made,” he further said.
“In states like Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and Manipur, where the BJP is in power today, they have forcefully initiated divisive politics. In the northeastern states, the BJP has started divisive politics by dividing communities and stoking tensions, including conflicts like the Kuki-Meitei dispute,” Sharma said.
“This has left the people of the North-East quite distressed because they never support this kind of politics. That’s why the AAP is determined to expand its organization with full force in the Northeast. The people in the region are also influenced by Arvind Kejriwal’s development, work, and honest politics, and this brand of politics has gained momentum in the Northeastern states as well. The AAP intends to accelerate its expansion in the region,” he added.