Voters in Haryana polarised on caste, religious lines in Assembly elections: AAP state head Sushil Gupta

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) state president and former Rajya Sabha MP Sushil Gupta said voters were polarised on the caste and religious lines, which helped the BJP form government in Haryana.

Gupta was interacting with mediapersons here today after holding a meeting of AAP candidates who contested the Assembly polls in Rohtak, Jhajjar, Bhiwani, Charkhi Dadri and Mahendragarh districts.

“Had all INDIA bloc partners contested Assembly elections altogether in the state, it would have managed to oust the BJP from power. In the elections, people wanted Arvind Kejriwal, but they got polarised in the name of caste and religion. Hence the AAP got less votes in the elections,” said the AAP leader.

In reply to a question, Gupta said overconfidence always caused losses and it happened with the Congress in this election. “Now, the Congress needs to introspect,” he said.

On being asked about the poor show of the AAP in the Assembly elections, he claimed that party candidates managed to get higher votes than the BJP’s former partner JJP in many constituencies. He said the AAP garnered more votes than the INLD-BSP alliance in over 30 segments.

In reply to another question, Gupta said the AAP would work to strengthen its organisational setup and contest all upcoming elections of zila parishad, panchayat samiti and urban local bodies in the state. People were seeing the AAP as the third political alternative in the state, he said.

Gupta said they reviewed the party’s performance in the Assembly elections and also discussed the prevailing political scenario in the state, besides chalking out strategies to strengthen the party cadre.

Congratulating the BJP for getting the mandate in the elections, Gupta said the Saffron party should work to fulfil its poll promises, besides making the state crime and drug free.