AAP eyes ‘third front’ of regional parties in Jharkhand

Ranchi: Jharkhand’s political battlefield might see uprising of an united third front, if Aam Aadmi Party implements its poll strategy. Jaishankar Choudhary, state convener of AAP in Jharkhand, said the party will contest in at least three parliamentary seats in Lok Sabha election and extend their support to Independent candidates and smaller regional parties.
“AAP’s initial protest began against the Congress rule in New Delhi. We will not join any alliance that has Congress’s presence. Therefore, we are currently working on bringing together political leaders and smaller parties who are willing to talk about the issues that have been lost in the humdrum of mainstream politics in Jharkhand. Lok Sabha elections of 2019 will see the rise of a third front in Jharkhand,” Choudhary told TOI on Saturday.

Taking the resolve to bring up their own issues in Jharkhand, AAP released its 20-point ‘Adivasi Sankalp Patra’ on Saturday, which focused on a variety of issues such as displacement and human trafficking. Choudhary said these issues will find a place in the party’s official manifesto for Lok Sabha poll.

Choudhary, however, admitted that the task to shape an united third front together is not an easy task. “The ideology with which Jharkhand was formed 18 years ago is lost amid petty politics. Industrial development has taken the front seat here and people-centric issues do not find any mention. We will bring those issues to the forefront again in a meeting with smaller regional parties next week,” he added.

AAP will rely on its youth-driven support to create a mark in the upcoming elections in the state. “The involvement of youths in politics is low as their causes seldom find any mention. We will take up issues that concern the youngsters — from school fees to delay in scholarships,” Choudhary said.