How AAP is making inroads in Madhya Pradesh's politics

© Provided by India Today Why would Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal visit Singrauli on July 2? Because the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is taking the urban bodies polls in the state very, very seriously. The AAP convenor was in the northeastern MP town to hold a road show to campaign for Rani Agarwal, the party’s mayoral candidate. As thousands turned up for the roadshow, CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan reached Singrauli the next day to hold a counter roadshow, in a sign that the AAP’s presence in MP is being taken seriously.

Some 413 urban bodies are going to polls in MP in two phases–on July 6 and July 13. These include 16 municipal corporations (tier 1, or the largest body in the three-tier system), 99 nagar palika parishads (tier 2 bodies) or municipalities and 298 nagar parishads (tier 3 bodies).

AAP is contesting for 14 of the 16 municipal corporations to stake a claim for the post of Mayor and for another 2,000-odd posts in all three bodies put together. In MP, the heads of municipal corporations are elected directly while the heads of the tier 2 and tier 3 bodies are elected by the councillors.

Kejriwal’s visit to Singrauli signifies that AAP sees more than a fighting chance for the post of Mayor in the town. AAP candidate Agarwal had been the party’s candidate for the Vidhan Sabha seat in 2018 and stood third in a triangular contest won by the BJP’s Ramlallu Vaishya, with the Congress candidate Ranu Shah ahead if her by 813 votes.

AAP leaders like MLA Atishi, Delhi minister Rajendra Pal Gautam and MP Sanjay Singh have also visited MP to campaign for their candidates. In case she pulls it off in Singrauli, Agarwal will be the first AAP mayor in the state.

Singrauli is also interesting in terms of demographics. The town is located in the state’s northeastern tribal belt and is also known as the power capital of the country, given the large number of thermal generation units there. Besides its tribal population, Singrauli town also hosts a large number of people from other parts of the country who have come here for employment. It is this demographic that has emerged as the AAP’s main support base in Singrauli.

“AAP has a membership base of 2.5 lakh people in MP. The urban body polls have given AAP workers to work on the ground for elections, something they were not getting earlier as they were mostly engaged in dharnas. It is a good practice run for 2023,” says the AAP’s Akshay Hunka.

Interestingly, panchayat elections too are going on in MP but they are not held on party lines. However, a few AAP office-bearers have managed to win in panchayat polls too, indicating the party’s presence in the countryside as well. Sandeep Shah, state president of the AAP’s youth wing, has won as a member of the Singrauli district panchayat as have AAP candidates in Chhatarpur.

An AAP victory will establish the party as a serious player for the 2023 assembly election. Fresh from its victory in Punjab, AAP has been seeking toeholds in other states. Will Singrauli provide that opportunity in MP?

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