As the Maharashtra assembly elections approach, Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh clarified on Saturday that the party will not be contesting the elections; however, party chief Arvind Kejriwal will campaign for MVA candidates.
“In the Maharashtra elections, the party’s National Convenor, Arvind Kejriwal, will campaign for the MVA candidates. Aam Aadmi Party will not contest elections in Maharashtra,” Singh said on X.
According to AAP sources, both Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP-SP reached out to the party regarding Kejriwal’s campaigning in Maharashtra. Additionally, Kejriwal is expected to campaign for Hemant Soren’s ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha in the Jharkhand assembly elections, as reported by PTI.
AAP and the MVA members are part of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), established ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections to challenge the BJP.
While AAP has allied with Congress in Delhi, Gujarat, and Haryana for the elections, it contested independently in Punjab and recently in Haryana without success.
Congress is also part of the MVA in Maharashtra and the ruling alliance in Jharkhand. AAP sources indicate that Shiv Sena-UBT and NCP-SP have requested AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal to campaign in Maharashtra, focusing on assembly seats where AAP has a volunteer presence and MVA candidates have no controversial backgrounds. Other senior AAP leaders are also expected to join the campaign for MVA candidates.
Maharashtra has a total of 288 assembly seats, and voting is planned for November 20. In Jharkhand, elections will be held in two phases on November 13 and 20, with the results for both states to be counted on November 23.
