Basking in the landslide victory in Punjab Assembly polls, the Aam Admi Party is now hopeful of repeating its splendid performance in neighbouring Himachal Pradesh. The Arvind Kejriwal-led party said on Saturday that it would contest all the 68 seats in Himachal Assembly polls scheduled to be held later this year.
“The AAP has the mantra to defeat the BJP,” said Delhi health minister and AAP leader Satyendra Jain who led a victory procession of the party in Shimla.
“The Delhi model will be implemented in Himachal Pradesh. After Punjab, now it's Himachal's turn. We will contest elections in all 68 seats in the upcoming Assembly elections," Jain said, adding that the party will also contest elections to Shimla Municipal Corporation, which will be held before the Assembly polls.
Jain announced that the party would provide free electricity, water, education and health facilities if it comes to power in Himachal. He, however, clarified: "There should not be anything like free to the public. It is a payback which is given to the public in the form of facilities for the tax which they have paid for.”
The AAP on Thursday stormed Punjab, winning 92 of the 117 Assembly seats, decimating the Congress and the SAD-BSP combine and making leaders like CM Charanjit Singh Channi, Parkash Singh Badal and Amarinder Singh bite the dust.
While the AAP bagged three-fourth of the seats, the Congress won 18, SAD 3, BJP 2 and BSP 1. An Independent also emerged victorious.
The AAP will now form its second government in the country after the one led by Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi.
The party had failed to secure any seat in the previous elections in Himachal Pradesh, whereas it had won four Lok Sabha and 20 Vidhan Sabha seats in Punjab previously.
Himachal Pradesh AAP president Anup Kesri had earlier said the Punjab poll results will certainly have a positive impact on the AAP's performance in the state.
Kesri told news agency PTI that the people of Himachal are fed up with the traditional political parties.
