Amid divergence, AAP to contest Shahkot bypoll

CHANDIGARH: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) state co-president Balbir Singh announced on Wednesday that the party would contest all elections, including the Shahkot assembly bypoll and panchayat polls, in the state. Singh said the AAP was the principal opposition party and could not be an onlooker in elections in the state.

Though this is not the first time he has stated this, the statement is significant as there are divergent views in the state unit on contesting the byelection to Shahkot assembly constituency scheduled for May 28.

A section of AAP leaders is of the firm view that the party should not contest the byelection because of its slender prospect of winning the fight.

AAP had polled 31% votes in Shahkot during the 2017 assembly election.

However, it suffered a setback when Amarjit Singh Mehatpur, the party candidate in last year’s election, joined the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) more than a month ago. Asked about a lack of consensus in the party on contesting the byelection, the AAP co-president said there were a few party leaders who held a different view on the matter.

“The majority of state leaders are in favour of fighting the election. SAD is already discredited and the image of the Congress has taken a beating in the past one year. We will have an honest candidate,” he said.