Citing bad roads, poor electricity supply and current political imbroglio in Nagaland, Aam Admi Party (AAP) national spokesperson and political affairs committee (PAC) member Ashutosh said it was time for the people of Nagaland to reject corrupt politicians, political parties and opportunistic political alliances.
Asserting the State was in a pathetic situation and that the ruling alliance was creating havoc in Naga polity and society, Ashutosh expressed the hope that Nagas would accept an alternative political party that was successfully experimented in Delhi. A former TV journalist-turned-politician, Ashutosh said, “We (AAP) are not here to do politics but to change things. That is why the people of Delhi gave us such a thumping majority, winning 67 out of 70 seats during the general elections held in 2015 and 28 seats in 2013, which enabled us to form two governments in Delhi since the inception of our party.”
With 22 seats in Punjab Assembly, he said AAP was the principal Opposition party and that it also had a strong presence in Uttar Pradesh Municipal Corporation, where it had won 50 seats during the recently-held elections. Stating that Nagaland was very sensitive from security point of view due to its geographic location, he said it was important to bring development to the State.
Ashutosh also shared some plans AAP had formulated for Nagaland, which include cleaning the State from all kinds of corruption. He said the party would choose right candidates and that it was open to welcoming honest and corruption-free politicians from other political parties too.
He added that AAP would not compromise on three Cs – candidates should be ‘clean’, without any ‘criminal’ charge against them and should have a sound ‘character’. He said the party might even have candidates from education and health sectors, social activists, management professionals and engineers, not just political background.
Reiterating that there were honest politicians in political parties who were being suffocated because of lack of an alternative, Ashutosh said they were also welcome to join AAP.
He informed the media that by first week of January 2018, the party would start preparing candidates’ lists and that it would be fielding candidates in almost all the constituencies as that would open the door for a better alternative to the electorate.
Expressing confidence on AAP’s Nagaland unit, he added that AAP teams from neighbouring States too would join the election campaign.
Also addressing the press conference, former social activist-turned-politician and AAP’s PAC member Sanjay Singh said party leaders had set-up a strong “search committee” that would select candidates for the upcoming Assembly elections scheduled early next year.
Highlighting the various woes faced by the people of Nagaland due to pathetic road conditions, poor education system, unreliable healthcare facilities, pitiable electricity connections, irregular water supply and unemployment, Singh said AAP would come up with a manifesto that would include all these issues.
He claimed that AAP had done a tremendous job in Delhi, especially in the education and health sectors, that should be replicated by every State government in the country and that all political leaders should learn something from its leader Arvind Kejriwal.
He asserted that the mohallah (locality) clinic initiated by the party had earned huge appreciation from former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan and also by the governments of France and the US.
Singh said the party had worked on a model for improving health and education systems in the country. He added that if the people of Nagaland gave the party a chance to form the next government, it was ready to bring in much-needed changes in various sectors.
Answering to a question whether the party was open to women candidates, Ashutosh said AAP was ready to field women as they had equal right to participate in a democratic set-up and that the party was very clear about women’s constitutional rights.
Replying to another query, Ashutosh said two-month time was enough for the party to get ready for the Assembly polls and that its State unit was working very hard after its formation.
On being asked whether the squabbles among AAP’s central party leadership would have any impact on party’s State units, Ashutosh clarified that those were not squabbles, but a democratic tradition where people with differences of opinion expressed themselves and that they were all respectable members of the party.
Answering to another question on how the party’s approach would be in matters of a political solution or development, Ashutosh said AAP was very clear that development and national security were inter-related. He added that if there were no good roads, health facilities, good education systems or water facilities, a nation would not be very secure and that was why development of Nagaland was very important.
The press conference was chaired by AAP Nagaland unit convenor Dr S Amos Lkr.
The search committee of the party’s Nagaland unit includes Dr S Amos Lkr, Sushil Kumar, Akavi N Zhimomi, Akheli Sumi and Dr L Chuwanglim, all of whom will be assisted by AAP’s PAC members Ashutosh and Sanjay Singh.