Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Convenor Arvind Kejriwal is set to campaign for candidates from the INDIA bloc in Maharashtra and Jharkhand, according to sources.
Kejriwal will concentrate on assembly constituencies where AAP has a significant volunteer presence and where Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) candidates have clean backgrounds. Both the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) have sought his involvement in the Maharashtra campaign. Other senior AAP leaders are also expected to support MVA candidates.
In Jharkhand, Kejriwal is likely to support Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) candidates, particularly in urban areas where his appeal could bolster the INDIA bloc’s chances.
Having been released on bail last month in connection with the Delhi excise policy case, Kejriwal has taken the unusual step of resigning as Chief Minister, pledging not to return to the post until he receives a “certificate of honesty” from the public in the upcoming elections.
Maharashtra’s assembly elections will take place on November 20, with vote counting on November 23. The main contest is between two alliances: the BJP, NCP (Ajit Pawar), and Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) under the Mahayuti alliance, and the MVA, consisting of Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (Sharad Pawar).
In Jharkhand, elections will be held in two phases on November 13 and 20, with the results also being announced on November 23. The BJP will team up with the All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU), JD-U, and the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), while the JMM, Rashtriya Janata Dal, and Congress will form the opposing alliance.