AAP not to contest Maharashtra Assembly elections

MUMBAI: The Aam Aadmi Party ( AAP) will not contest the October 15 Assembly elections in Maharashtra, the party announced today.

"The Lok Sabha election results brought a realisation that it is not possible to win elections without a strong grass root organisational structure," AAP spokesperson Preeti Sharma Menon said.

"We also realised that due to the lack of resources and inability of the party to give financial support, many candidates had to struggle to fight elections," she added.

According to her, the party has decided that it should concentrate on strengthening the organisation, establishing processes and systems, building the infrastructure for communication with volunteers and empowering them through training, so that the party gets a strong volunteer base and organisational strength to enable it fight traditional politics.

"AAP Maharashtra will not contest elections and we will also not support anyone in the forthcoming Assembly elections, neither independent candidates nor any political parties," Menon said.

"If any AAP member chooses to contest polls either as an independent or through any other party, his or her membership is automatically rescinded. The party members will not be involved in any campaigning," she said.

AAP volunteers will launch an awareness campaign on proactive participation - ' Jagrut Nagrik' and the party will encourage teams to conduct two campaigns in each Assembly constituency - to identify corrupt candidates and prevent bribes.