Assembly election results 2022: Arvind Kejriwal hopes to extend ‘AAPrising’ to Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh

“Mujhe rajneeti karna nahin aati hai (I don’t know how to do politics) is something that Arvind Kerjiwal has said time and time again in his addresses.

However, the Punjab result where the Aam Aadmi Party scripted a stellar victory with over a three-fourth majority shows that Arvind Kejriwal knows exactly what he’s doing and his politics is here to stay.

Not happy to just savour the victory in Punjab, leaders from within the party on Thursday announced that this wasn’t just it for the AAP. They were now looking to the future and wanted to expand the party’s political footprint even further.

What’s next for the AAP? Where are they headed next?

Punjab gives ‘Ek Mauka Kejriwal Nu’

The Aam Aadmi Party led by Arvind Kejriwal pulled off a spectacular victory in the Punjab Assembly elections. The final numbers from the Election Commission showed that the AAP had won 92 seats, followed by the Congress with 18 seats. The BJP and the Akalis were left in the dust with just two and three seats respectively.

Kejriwal’s win in Punjab is historic as it is the first time that a regional party has won a second state.

Additionally, the AAP has broken the stranglehold that the Shiromani Akali Dal and the Congress held over the state. The political power has traditionally kept oscillating between the SAD, and the Congress.

Following the victory, party chief and Delhi chief minister Kejriwal called it a "revolution" that will be replicated across the country.

Abhishek Srivastava, who is author of Aam Aadmi Ke Naam Par, an anthology of anti-corruption movement in India in a report to the Outlook attributed the fact that AAP being in direct conflict with the BJP at the Centre played to the party's benefit. The party had also supported the farmers’ protest at the Delhi borders.

Moreover, the sudden exit of Captain Amarinder Singh backfired on Congress, paving the way for the AAP.

Supporters of Aam Aadmi Party celebrate after their party's win in the Punjab state Assembly elections in Amritsar. AFP

Gujarat and Himachal on AAP’s radar

The Punjab victory is just one step in the AAP’s path of becoming a national player and for making Arvind Kejriwal the tallest Opposition leader.

Shortly after winning in Punjab, AAP’s Raghav Chadha said, "I see AAP becoming a national force. AAP is going to be the national and natural replacement of the Congress. It is a tremendous day for AAP as a party, because today we have become a national party. We are no longer a regional party. May the almighty bless us and Arvind Kejriwal. May he lead the nation one day."

He pointed out that the BJP took "much more time" to win two states than AAP, which was founded in 2012.

Party leader Akshay Marathe took this sentiment forward in his interview to NDTV. He was quoted as saying, "Yes, we are definitely going to Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. These are two states on our radar and the party has been sending party workers to these states and we will definitely have a big impact. For decades people of India have had to decide between two parties who did not work for them. For the first time, they are seeing an alternative to both, and people want change," he said.

In fact, the AAP’s work in Gujarat has already begun, as the elections for the western state will be held around December of this year.

It has been reported that Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab chief minister-designate, Bhagwant Mann will travel to Gujarat and spruce up the party's campaign in the state.

Since decades, the BJP and Congress have been the dominating political forces in Gujarat, but some political observers say like in Delhi, the AAP now has a good chance to take on the BJP.

"With blessings of the people of Gujarat, the AAP will emerge as the main contender to the BJP in Gujarat. The Congress has been rejected by people here for the last 27 years," AAP Gujarat spokesperson Yogesh Patel told PTI.

"The Congress does not have the will or vision for Gujarat, while we are offering an alternate model of development on the basis of the Arvind Kejriwal government's work in Delhi,” he said. He claimed that people are tired of the 27 years of BJP's "misrule" and will give a chance to the AAP.

“Be it education, electricity, health or water, the BJP has not been able to deliver to the basic amenities to the people of the state and we hope considering this, they will give us a chance,” Patel said.

Political analyst Dilip Gohil also claimed that the AAP has a "real chance of emerging as a political force in Gujarat" in the elections due later this year.

The party sees them as having a real chance in Gujarat after its performance in the recently-concluded municipal elections in Surat and Gandhinagar. The party received 18 to 20 per cent of the votes, showing they were a viable option.

AAP's Ratnesh Gupta also highlighted how the party will be looking at Himachal Pradesh next, which is scheduled to go to polls later this year.

"The Punjab victory is going to have a massive impact on elections in Himachal. The message of Delhi development model has reached Punjab in a big way, and you will soon see Himachal going the Punjab way," he said.

With inputs from agencies

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