The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) which is in power in two neighbouring states - Haryana and Punjab - on Thursday said it will contest all 90 seats in the Haryana Assembly elections. The formal announcement also ended any possibility of alliance with Congress. AAP made an alliance in the Lok Sabha elections as a part of I.N.D.I.A bloc. Congress had given one seat (Kurukshetra) to AAP in Haryana in the Lok Sabha elections.
The announcement was made in a press conference held by top party leaders - Rajya Sabha MPs Sanjay Singh, Sandeep Pathak and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
The Haryana Assembly elections are due later this year. Addressing the media in Chandigarh, Singh said the AAP will fight the Haryana Assembly polls strongly.
"The AAP will contest all 90 seats," said the Rajya Sabha MP, who was flanked by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and senior party leader Sandeep Pathak.
Singh targeted the BJP government in Haryana over the issues of unemployment, law and order, and the Agnipath scheme.
"Today, there is an industry of extortion in Haryana. We saw how farmers were crushed during their agitation. Unemployment is also a big problem in Haryana," he said.
He said the Agnipath scheme is an "insult to the Army".
The Centre had announced the Agnipath scheme in 2022 which provides for recruiting youths between the age bracket of 17-and-half years and 21 for four years with a provision to retain 25 per cent of them for 15 more years. These recruits are called Agniveers.
Chief Minister Mann said during AAP leaders' visits to different parts of Haryana like Rohtak, Sonipat and Jind, people said they wanted "badlav" (change) in the state.
Haryana has given chances to the Congress, the BJP and regional parties but all of them looted the state, he alleged.
Mann said the AAP will contest the assembly polls strongly and "Badlenge Haryana Ka Haal, Ab Layenge Kejriwal" will be its slogan.
(With PTI inputs)
