AAP makes it common man vs dynasty in Adampur bypolls

In its first electoral test after sweeping the Punjab assembly elections, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has taken the fight to party convenor and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's home state of Haryana. The November 3 by-election in Adampur assembly constituency, a family borough of former chief minister Bhajan Lal, has become a big-ticket contest with AAP making it a Dynasty vs Common Man battle.

Even before the Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh assembly elections slated for late November-December this year, AAP is testing its strength through this by-election in Haryana. The party is not treating it as a by-election but a way to get a toe-hold in Kejriwal's home state. At a high-level strategy meeting on Thursday, the party decided to deploy 2,000 volunteers in Adampur and resort to door-to-door campaigning in every village. According to sources, about 25 MLAs from Delhi and Punjab will be camping in Adampur to campaign for the party.

Adampur is considered a VIP constituency and has been represented by former chief minister Bhajan Lal and later by son Kuldeep Bishnoi. Bishnoi recently joined the BJP, following his expulsion from the Congress over voting against the party's candidate Ajay Maken in the Rajya Sabha elections. His expulsion also necessitated the Adampur by-election. AAP, which is hoping to cash in on its recent victory in neighbouring Punjab, has smelt an opportunity in Adampur.


Kejriwal had kicked off his "Make India No. 1" campaign with a rally in Adampur seeking "an opportunity to serve the people". This clearly signalled AAP's seriousness in contesting the Adampur seat. A senior AAP leader told ET, "It will be a hyper local election in which we will expose that only Bhajan Lal worked for the people and Kuldeep Bishnoi has done nothing over the last 24 years."