EYE ON POLLS, AAP LAUNCHES GUJ OUTREACH TO WOO FARMERS

NEW DELHI: With an eye on the 2017 assembly elections in Gujarat, the Aam Aadmi Party launched a 20-day programme aimed at the rural population, especially farmers, across more than 10,000 villages in the western state on Friday.

Called ‘AAP chali gaon ki ore (AAP walks to the villages)’, the outreach will pitch AAP, which is largely seen as an urban political phenomenon, as a serious alternative for the people of the state.

“Small teams of AAP volunteers have been asked to fan out to the villages in every Vidhan Sabha constituency. Each team will cover around five to seven villages every day and hold nukkad sabhas (village-level public meetings),” AAP’s Gujarat co-in charge Kapil Dhama said.

By the end of the programme, the party hopes to have touched over 10,000 villages spread across 182 constituencies. Nearly three of every five Gujaratis live in villages.

After declaring its national convenor and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s October 16 rally in Surat a success, the party has plunged into campaigning for the elections, which are expected to be held shortly after the Punjab and Goa polls.

AAPleadersinvolvedinbuilding anddesigningtheparty’scampaign in the state reveal that the party leadership is hoping to channelise the angst of the Patidars, Dalits and farmersagainsttheincumbentBJP government in Gujarat.

The state has seen agitations by the Patidars and Dalits in the recentpast.TheAAPisparticularly buoyedbythefactthatKejriwalwas able to hold a rally in Surat last month, whereas BJP president Amit Shah’s public meeting with the Patidars on September 8 saw commotion by community leader Hardik Patel’s followers.

Sources reveal that the party’s top leadership is in touch with Patel and Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani.

BY THE END OF THE PROGRAMME, THE PARTY HOPES TO HAVE TOUCHED OVER

10,000 VILLAGES