Former Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Sunday asserted that only Congress could challenge Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh assembly elections, while calling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) “merely a party of UT Delhi”.
Months after exiting the decades-long association with the Congress party, Azad said that he was not against its policy of secularism, but its weak party system. While talking to ANI at Srinagar, he said, “Although I have separated from Congress, I wasn’t against their policy of secularism. It was only due to the party’s system getting weakened. I would still want Congress to perform well in Gujarat and HP Assembly polls. AAP isn’t capable to do so.”
Exuding confidence in the Congress, he said that the party takes a long everybody, Hindu, and Muslim farmers. He said that Aam Aadmi Party can’t do anything in these states, they have failed in Punjab and the people of Punjab will not vote for them again.
In a scathing attack on Aam Aadmi Party, Azad asserted that ” AAP is merely a party of UT Delhi. They can’t run Punjab efficiently, only Congress can challenge BJP in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh as they have an inclusive policy.”
Earlier on August 26, Azad quit the 52-years-long association with the Congress party. While in October, Azad announced his new political outfit ‘Democratic Azad Party’.
The elections in Gujarat will be held in two phases on December 1 and 5. The counting of votes will take place on December 8.
The BJP has claimed six consecutive assembly polls in Gujarat and is aiming to repeat the same. While, Congress is keen to take an early decision on candidates to give them more time for campaigning and is going to bolster its campaign through yatras.
Meanwhile, this year Aam Aadmi Party is also in battle ground for the election with full might and has made it a triangular contest.
(With Inputs from ANI)