AAP to launch anti-liquor stir in Rajasthan, also focus on farm distress

With an eye on next year’s assembly elections in Rajasthan, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) plans to hold a series of agitations to corner the BJP government and connect with the masses.

The party is also focusing on building its organisation from the grass-root level and will complete the process of electing the office-bearers in 100 assembly constituencies in the first phase. Party leader Kumar Vishwas will visit Jaipur on October 4 and hold meetings with the party office-bearers in this regard.

As part of its two-pronged strategy, AAP will focus on farm distress and launch anti-liquor agitations in the rural regions.

“The party will launch an anti-liquor agitation in the state with focus on the villages. At present, we are focusing on building our organisation, and in the first phase it will be done in 100 assembly constituencies,” Vishwas told HT over the phone from Delhi.

With an eye on women voters, the party plans to launch an aggressive agitation demanding prohibition in the state from January next year. The AAP will recruit volunteers who will corner the government by visiting villages and towns and gather the support of rural women. Many women activists in different districts of the state have been demanding the closure of liquor shops in villages.

“The natural question that will be asked is why prohibition has not been imposed in Delhi by the AAP government. The simple answer is that Delhi is the national capital and you cannot compare it with the villages where the problem is acute,” Vishwas said.

AAP will also focus on other planks including education, healthcare, reduction in electricity tariff and free drinking water.

“The strategy is to ask the government to ensure that all villages have schools and clinics first rather than a liquor shop,” an AAP leader said requesting anonymity.

AAP is in talks with the NGOs and is trying to induct social workers in the party who will help it in the anti-liquor agitation.

The other plank is farm distress. “A huge farmers rally is planned in December that will involve farmers from across the state,” the AAP leader said.

Vishwas also plans to visit the state on a regular basis from next month. “From January, Kumar Vishwas will start visiting each of the 200 assembly constituencies and take part in rallies and nukkad sabha,” he said.

The party has already been using its student’s wing, CYSS, to bring more youths into its fold. The idea is to build a strong booth-level organization before the assembly elections slated for December 2018.