NEW DELHI: In a surprise move, Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has announced that it will contest all 243 seats in the upcoming Bihar assembly elections, positioning itself as an alternative to both the ruling NDA and the opposition Mahagathbandhan. The decision has added an interesting variable as strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj also debuts this time in what the Election Commission has called the “mother of elections.”Party leaders said AAP aims to introduce its “Delhi-Punjab model” of governance in Bihar, focusing on education, healthcare and anti-corruption measures. The leadership believes widespread public frustration with unemployment, migration and poor infrastructure has created space for a new brand of issue-based politics in the state.Also Read: The key players of Bihar elections and what’s at stake for them“We have an approved model of growth and governance. The work done by the Aam Aadmi Party is being discussed across the country. People hailing from the Purvanchal region had contributed immensely to our victory. in Delhi,” AAP’s state in-charge Ajesh Yadav said while announcing the decision.“Our national convener Arvind Kejriwal asked if they can help us form a government in Delhi, then why not in Bihar?” he added.AAP’s move comes at a time when the opposition bloc – RJD, Congress, and Left parties – is struggling to finalize a seat-sharing formula ahead of the polls. The AAP, which earlier announced its decision to part ways from INDIA bloc in July, shortly after Delhi election debacle, has again chosen to chart an independent course in Bihar.Also Read: ‘Vote katua’ or agent of change? Why Prashant Kishor’s poll debut could upset old equations in BiharKejriwal’s move is being widely seen as a response to the rise of Prashant Kishor, who has visited almost every corner of Bihar with an aim of grassroot expansion in the last couple of years. Prashant Kishor is promising an alternative to the traditional contest between the BJP-JD(U) and RJD-Congress that heavily depends on caste politics.AAP MP Sanjay Singh explained this: “We have already delivered on the ground, but Prashant Kishore is making promises only. Making promises and actually implementing them on the ground are two very different things,” Singh said.Interestingly, Prashant Kishor, as a strategist, played a pivotal role in AAP’s success, especially in Delhi. His I-PAC collaborated closely with AAP charting out campaign strategies that helped AAP win massive once again in 2020. The timing of this bet also seems to be perfect for Kejriwal, and Prashant Kishor, as with nearly two decades of Nitish Kumar-led governance, political fatigue seems to have set in among voters, creating what some see as an opportune moment for a third front. It’s a formula that once worked for Kejriwal in Delhi where AAP dethroned Congress mired in corruption and anti-incumbency.The same story was repeated in Punjab where AAP defeated the two traditional parties of Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal that had ruled the state for seven decades. AAP was seen as a party offering a fresh, corruption-free alternative, building on its reputation for delivering welfare policies and good governance in Delhi.Also Read: The veteran, the challenger, the disruptor – Nitish Kumar faces rough poll pitch; RJD, Prashant Kishor loom largeIn Bihar, Kishor has been attempting a similar style of politics, and now Kejriwal’s party has entered the fray, vying for the same space. But will Kejriwal’s party succeed in making inroads in a state like Bihar or will it just vanish in thin air? We will not have to wait long to know, as the state votes in two phases on November 6 and 11. The decision will be known on November 14 when the election result is announced.
