Will fight LS polls on our own: AAP leader Sandeep Pathak says in Goa

Addressing a press conference in Goa, Pathak told the media that AAP will contest the Lok Sabha elections with ‘full fight and full might’ across the country.

“The party has very strong chances in Madhya Pradesh. In MP, it has become difficult [for the public] to identify BJP or Congress. People are aspiring for change. In Rajasthan, the Congress leaders are fighting among themselves and so are the BJP leaders. People are tired of this. In Chhattisgarh, there is rampant corruption under the Congress government. The coal being extracted from mining is being distributed to Adani for free. In all the states, people want change and the need for a new and honest alternative and only Kejriwal represents that change,” he said.

Stressing that AAP’s constructive politics is the only option to defeat the BJP’s ‘negative’ politics, Pathak said, “BJP has only one identity left, which is to form the government by any means possible [Kisi bhi tareeke se sarkar banana]. Either before the elections, BJP tries to influence the result or if the BJP loses in polls, it forms the government by purchasing MLAs. But, BJPs purpose is not to serve the country. Its sole purpose is how to form the government and how to exploit the people.”

He added that voting for Congress was akin to voting for the BJP. “Congress party either gets fixed before the elections or it is sold after the elections [Congress party ya toh chunav se pehle set ho jaati hai, ya toh chunav ke baad bikk jaati hai],” he said.

Hailing AAP’s rise in the last decade to become a national party as “nothing short of a miracle”, Pathak said, “BJP wants to crush AAP because they are aware that only Kejriwal and AAP can destroy their corrupt empire. BJP has understood that it is difficult to deal with Kejriwal through the correct [electoral] route. So, they have devised a conspiracy to trap the party and framed our ministers in false and bogus cases.”

Pathak said AAP will contest the 2024 elections in Goa for both the Lok Sabha seats and preparations for strengthening the party’s organisational structure in the coastal state have begun.

“People of Goa feel cheated. When they vote for Congress, the vote goes to BJP and when they vote for BJP, the vote goes to Congress. BJP got 20 seats in Goa [in last years Assembly election]…BJP bought more than half of Congress [leaders]… and their government came to power. What has the government been doing? Corruption is at an all-time high in Goa. There is a cut for everything. Their policies are such that there has been negligible employment since this government came to power. There is no industrial policy, no IT policy, no education policy or any technological innovation. Goa has become famous for how the MLAs are sold,” he added.