Ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections in Chhattisgarh, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) released the second list of 12 candidates on Monday. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led party had released the first list of 10 candidates for the state Assembly elections on September 8.
In the 2018 Assembly polls, AAP had fielded 85 candidates in Chhattisgarh but all them ended up losing their deposits. The polls to the 90-member House were swept by the Congress, which ousted the Bharatiya Janata Party after 15 years in power.
AAP's second list of candidates:
Kejriwal promises implementation of PESA for tribals
Last month AAP chief Kejriwal said his party would implement the Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act in tribal-dominated areas of Chhattisgarh if voted to power in the upcoming assembly elections. Addressing a rally in the Bastar district headquarters Jagdalpur on September 16, he slammed the BJP, saying celebrations were underway at the saffron party's headquarters in Delhi when the sad news of the martyrdom of Army officers in Anantnag trickled in.
“We guarantee that if AAP is elected to power in Chhattisgarh, PESA will be implemented within a month of the formation of the government in the interest of tribals and to protect their 'jal, jungle, and zameen' (land). All rights will be given to the gram sabha,” the Delhi CM said.
PESA empowers Gram Sabhas to manage the affairs as per local traditions and customs. The Sabhas can approve plans, programmes and projects for social and economic development, and have the right to mandatory consultation in land acquisition, resettlement and rehabilitation of displaced persons.
Here is AAP's first list of candidates:
Chhattisgarh Assembly elections
It should be mentioned here that the 2023 Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly election is scheduled to be held in or before November 2023 to elect all 90 members of the state's Legislative Assembly. The tenure of the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly is scheduled to end on 3 January 2024. The previous assembly elections were held in November 2018. After the election, the Congress party formed the state government, with Bhupesh Baghel becoming Chief Minister.
(With inputs from agencies)
