AAP announces entry into Karnataka poll ring ›

People are tired of choosing between the devil and the deep sea and we (Aam Aadmi Party) come with the promise of better governance. PANKAJ GUPTA, AAP general secretary in-charge of Karnataka

BENGALURU: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) announced on Thursday that it will contest the May-scheduled Karnataka assembly elections and provide the state’s electorate a ‘better alternative’.

Announcing the party’s decision, AAP general secretary in-charge of Karnataka, Pankaj Gupta, said surveys had shown that the mood of the people was conducive for the party’s electoral debut in the southern state. “People are tired of choosing between the devil and the deep sea and we come with the promise of better governance,” Gupta said. Traditionally, Karnataka has seen a three-way poll contest between the Congress, Janata Dal (Secular) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

According to the Arvind Kejriwal-led party, the state’s voters have tried all the mainstream parties over the past 20 years but with little success. “A recent survey has shown 80% of the people are looking for a credible alternative,” the party said in a statement. Prithvi Reddy, AAP’S state convener, said the party will strive to be the alternative that people are seeking.

However, he did not say how many seats the party would contest from in the 224-member assembly. “We will conduct surveys across the state to identify the constituencies from which we will contest. But it is safe to say that we will contest all the seats in Bengaluru,” he said. The city accounts for 28 seats.

According to Reddy, the party would focus on issues affecting the people and not become personality driven. “Karnataka accounts for the second highest number of farmers’ suicides, Bengaluru is being considered a dead city, and a recent survey has shown that Karnataka is the most corrupt state. So, these are issues we will be focussing on in our campaign,” he said.

Reddy said that despite AAP failing to secure a single seat in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections in the state, there were clear indications that the people would vote for the party if it entered the electoral fray. He said the party would announce its candidates next week so that they have ample time to connect with the voters.