Three days after the Delhi elections results gave a hung Assembly verdict, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has formally declared that the party is gearing up for fresh elections. Along with Delhi Assembly elections, the party has also announced its intention of plunging into the Lok Sabha elections in 2014.
Party convenor Arvind Kejriwal called on the AAP’s supporters and sympathisers to “donate liberally” to the party fund for the elections. He said that the party’s website was open for contributions.
While addressing a massive gathering of party supporters at Jantar Mantar here, Mr. Kejriwal said: “When we got the required funds from people ahead of the Assembly elections, we had asked people not to donate further. Now we have to prepare for fresh Delhi Assembly as well as the General Elections in 2014. This is not our fight but your fight and we can not continue this fight without your support.”
“Earlier when we put donor’s names on the AAP website they objected to it saying that they might have to face the witch hunt of the rival parties. Now that the people of Delhi have posed faith in us, they are calling back saying that they have no fear from anybody now,” he added to the cheering and clapping of supporters.
Mr. Kejriwal also made it clear that the AAP will not be pressured into trying to form government in Delhi and lashed out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the single largest party in the new Assembly, for not doing so.
“If the BJP doesn’t get majority at the Centre, will they also not stake claim then?” he asked.
Extending his support to the ongoing fast by Anna Hazare, Mr. Kejriwal said that he will visit Ralegan Siddhi village in Maharashtra on Tuesday and sit in the audience as a common supporter as the corruption crusader was against taking support from any political party for his movement. Mr. Kejriwal said that he respected his sentiments and stand.
Mr. Hazare is on a hunger strike to demand that the anti-corruption Lokpal Bill be passed in the ongoing winter session of Parliament.
