Unforgettable 2020: From winning polls to farmers' protest, for AAP it was an eventful year
New Delhi, Dec 30: The AAP had an eventful 2020 marked by a resounding assembly poll victory which was summed up as "memorable and motivating" by its party leader Sanjay Singh.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) started the year with a bang, storming back to power in Delhi by winning 62 seats in the 70-member Delhi Assembly. Arvind Kejriwal was sworn in as chief minister for a third term in February.
Singh said the Delhi assembly victory was not just of the party but of "work-based politics" and now its aim in 2021 is to win polls in other states and replicate the Delhi model there.
"The Delhi election results were very encouraging and motivating. The win was a validation of our work and alternative brand of politics," Singh told PTI, talking about how the year 2020 went for the party.
The
AAP
started
with
a
frenzied
election
campaign
which
included
several
townhall
meetings
of
Kejriwal
apart
from
election
rallies.
Ahead
of
polls,
Prashant
Kishor-led
political
consultancy
firm
I-PAC
came
on
board
with
the
party
and
what
ensued
was
the
intense
election
campaign.
Kejriwal
made
it
clear
that
the
polls
in
Delhi
will
be
fought
on
the
basis
of
work
and
the
party
will
not
indulge
in
any
mudslinging
or
dirty
politics.
Schemes
such
as
free
travel
for
women
in
DTC
buses,
free
electricity,
installation
of
CCTV
cameras
and
free
water
were
his
party's
poll
planks.
Addressing thousands at the sprawling Ramlila Maidan after taking oath for the third term as chief minister, the 51-year-old had said he wants to take everyone forward with him.
Delhi Jal Board office vandalised: AAP govt blames BJP
He also stressed that he wants to work in coordination with the Centre and sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's blessings for smooth governance of the national capital.
Soon
after
Kejriwal
assumed
office,
the
coronavirus
pandemic
outbreak
posed
the
first
and
probably
the
biggest
challenge
faced
not
just
by
the
Delhi
government
but
also
by
the
party.
Kejriwal
urged
his
party
workers
to
go
to
every
village,
street
and
neighbourhood
across
the
country
to
help
people
in
their
battle
against
COVID-19.
He
started
a
campaign
under
which
he
asked
party
workers
to
check
the
oxygen
level
of
people
with
oximeter.
Meanwhile,
the
party
started
its
work
towards
expanding
other
states,
especially
in
Uttar
Pradesh
and
Uttarakhand,
where
it
said
it
would
be
contesting
the
state
assembly
polls.
Speaking
about
the
party's
vision
for
2021,
Singh
said
the
AAP
will
be
working
towards
increasing
its
reach
in
these
states.
"Our
dream
for
2021
is
to
replicate
the
Delhi
model
in
these
states.
Education,
health,
CCTVs,
water,
women
safety,
free
bus
ride
for
women
--
whatever
we
did
in
Delhi
we
now
want
to
do
in
these
states," he
added.
Singh
said
the
biggest
challenge
they
are
expecting
to
face
in
these
states
is
how
to
raise
people's
issues
in
front
of
the
"dictatorship
governments".
"Biggest
challenges
would
be
to
tackle
the
revenge-minded
political
parties
which
target
you,
file
cases
against
you.
Like
when
you
raise
basic
issues,
then
you
are
targeted
and
you
need
to
be
prepared
to
tackle
the
government's
unfair
crackdown
on
you
and
that
is
the
challenge
we
would
need
to
be
ready
to
face.
So
the
biggest
challenge
is
to
raise
people's
issues
in
front
of
these
dictatorship
governments,"
Singh
claimed.
The
AAP
also
came
out
strongly
in
support
of
protesting
farmers
who
have
been
opposing
the
new
agri
laws.
Terming
these
legislations
anti-farmer
and
anti-common
man
and
just
made
to
favour
a
few
capitalists,
Kejriwal
opposed
them
and
also
went
to
meet
the
protesting
farmers
at
the
Singhu
border,
saying
he
was
there
to
serve
as
'sewadaar'.
The AAP also alleged that the Delhi Police put Kejriwal under house arrest after he met the protesting farmers, following which a huge drama ensued outside the chief minister's residence.
The
party's
fights
with
the
Delhi
Police
continued
throughout
the
year
as
it
alleged
that
the
latter
was
acting
on
the
direction
of
the
Centre.
Towards
the
fag
end
of
2020,
the
AAP
claimed
to
have
unearthed
a
Rs
2500-crore
scam
of
the
BJP-ruled
municipal
corporations
which
Kejriwal
called
was
bigger
than
the
Commonwealth
Games
scam
and
demanded
CBI
probe
into
the
matter.
Despite being marred by the COVID-19 pandemic, the year 2020 turned out to be good for AAP where it not only secured another term in office but also mulled ways to expand to other states.