M A I N   N E W S

AAP eyes bigger arena, to fight LS polls
Ananya Panda
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 11
Buoyed by its performance in the Delhi Assembly elections, the debutant Aam Aadmi Party today declared to contest the 2014 Lok Sabha elections on "broom" symbol. At an event to mark his party's thumping victory this evening, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal urged people to contribute monetarily to the party fund besides offering their time and service so that it could replicate its Delhi performance in the Lok Sabha elections.

Terming the Delhi win a "beginning of honest politics", he urged the crowd of party supporters at Jantar Mantar to step up efforts and invest energy for getting passed Anna's Jan Lokpal Bill.

He said he and Kumar Vishwas would go and meet Anna Hazare tomorrow. Hazare is on a fast at Ralegaon Siddhi for the past two days demanding the passing of the Jan Lokpal Bill. But they (Kejriwal and Vishwas) would not go on the stage as Anna had rejected support from any political leader, he said.

Reiterating his party's stand on the government formation in Delhi, he said his party was ready for re-election. The BJP had got the highest number of seats, so it should form a government. It was, however, shying away from its responsibility, he said.

"On the day of elections, channels ran exit polls showing AAP securing just 4-5 seats. Various political parties resorted to distributing money and liquor, yet the people voted for us. Ordinary people defeated heavyweights. Delhi win is a beginning of honest politics," he said.

The 45-year-old social activist-turned politician, who defeated former Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit by a record margin of over 25,000 votes, said, "We are not here to celebrate…. Winning the election was not our goal and coming to power is not our aim….We are here for a system change. It is a struggle of the ‘aam aadmi’ and all of you, including traders, who wish to see an honest system in place, should join this movement."

He invited honest members of the Congress and the BJP who are upset with the corrupt ways of their parties to join AAP.