Aam Aadmi Party, it is believed, doesn’t see much virtue in fielding Arvind Kejriwal this time, feels it will be better if he keeps his focus on Delhi.
New Delhi: Arvind Kejriwal will not contest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2019, a strategy the Aam Aadmi Party had adopted in 2014 to project the Delhi Chief Minister as the main challenger to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) nationally.
Kejriwal had adopted the same strategy in the 2013 assembly polls, successfully contesting against then Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit in her New Delhi constituency. The AAP leader had replicated the strategy in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections by contesting against Modi in Varanasi.
Kejriwal, however, is unlikely to do it anymore and will stay away from contesting against political heavyweights, party sources told ThePrint.
There are two reasons attributed to this decision. First, unlike in the past when he was a political greenhorn and needed to make his presence felt, Kejriwal has arrived on the political centrestage in the national capital and no longer needs such attention.
Second, the Delhi CM has, for now, given up his national ambitions and contesting against Modi again, with little hope of winning, doesn’t serve any purpose.
However, Gopal Rai, AAP Delhi convener and minister in the state government, said: “Kejriwal contesting or not contesting against any political heavyweight is a hypothetical question for the time being. The party will take a call when the time comes.”
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‘Tough choice’
“The party leadership doesn’t see any virtue in fielding Kejriwal this time. In 2013 and 2014, the political circumstances were completely different,” an AAP leader, familiar with the development within the party, told ThePrint.
In the 2013 polls, momentum for AAP was very high and the Congress party was on the back foot, and in 2014, Kejriwal was not occupying any chair, he added. The party brass feels that the political environment now is not that conducive for it.
“The party leadership, including Kejriwal, feels that both in victory as well as defeat, it will be a tough choice for him,” said the AAP leader.
“In defeat, it’ll be a huge loss of face for Kejriwal. In victory also, there won’t be much clout for Kejriwal as BJP looks all set to form the government today,” the leader added.
Also read: AAP names in-charges for final two Lok Sabha seats in Delhi, banks on yet another outsider
So the understanding in the party is that Kejriwal should remain the Chief Minister of Delhi and campaign against the policies of the Modi government.
Assembly elections in Delhi are due in early 2020 and the leadership feels that Kejriwal should focus on that as Delhi remains the party’s best bet.
Naturally ! If he contests, he is most likely to lose. With that, he would have lost his last shot at POWER, which he has, as the CM of Delhi for at least another 2 years. The usual “Big Fish in a small Pond; small fish in a big pond” situation. He will be nowhere in the Lok Sabha. Here, he is KING ( for 2 more years only).
67 out of 70 and even during Modi wave and you say 2 more years. Laughable