J&K Assembly Elections: AAP Enters Poll Fray With Promise of Free Electricity, Mohalla Clinics

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will contest the assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir with a promise of providing free electricity to the public and improved health infrastructure in the Union Territory with its flagship Mohalla Clinic scheme if it wins.

AAP leader Imran Hussain, who is also a Cabinet Minister and MLA from Delhi, went to Srinagar on Tuesday and met with party workers and office bearers to plan the strategy for the assembly polls to be held next month.

Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Hussain announced that the party will be fighting the polls in the UT. He also assured that the party will soon bring out its manifesto.

“We will fight the polls with full strength… other parties have issued their manifestos, but duplicate is duplicate and original is original… see the governments in Delhi and Punjab. We are the only party that delivers all its promises,” he said.

Hussain also challenged that anyone could pick and compare the past manifesto issued by any party and check to what extent they had fulfilled their promises.

Speaking about the party and its chief Arvind Kejriwal, Hussain said they promised free water and electricity and delivered it too.

“Kashmir will get free electricity and world-class health infrastructure… I request the public to give a chance to AAP and Kejriwal. People are looking for a party that serves them. The people have tried and tested the other parties contesting the elections… the people were used for politics… but AAP is the only party that serves the common man,” he said.

In Delhi, where AAP is in power since 2015, the party is providing free electricity up to 200 units and free water supply. Under Mohalla clinics, people get primary health care and free medicines in a smaller set up in a nearby locality.

Jammu and Kashmir will be heading for its first assembly polls post 2019, when Article 370 was scrapped, and the state was converted into a Union Territory with an assembly.

The creation of the UT was announced in August 2019 and officially came into existence in October 2019. The last time the erstwhile state witnessed assembly polls was in November-December 2014. The seats in the J&K assembly have been vacant since 2018.

The 90-member house will see elections in three phases starting from September 18. The results will be declared on October 4.

AAP is a national party that is ruling in Delhi and Punjab. Apart from J&K, the party is also contesting the assembly polls in Haryana in full strength. The elections in Haryana will be held on October 1 while results will be declared on October 4.