WHY WAS the AAP keen on an alliance with the Congress?
We were keen on a pan-north India alliance—across Haryana, Punjab, Chandigarh and Delhi—because those are the seats where the BJP could have been defeated. We do not need an alliance with the Congress in Delhi alone, because the AAP can defeat the BJP in all seven seats.
Why could the alliance not be formed?
The main reason is that [Congress president] Rahul Gandhi and the Congress do not want to defeat the BJP. The gathbandhan, including the Congress, the AAP and the Jannayak Janta Party, would have defeated the BJP on 31 seats. Also, the Congress is trying to weaken the opposition in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Kerala. Why is Rahul Gandhi contesting from Wayanad? If he really wanted to defeat the BJP, he should have contested from Gujarat or Madhya Pradesh, where the Congress is in a direct fight with the BJP.
So the stage is set for a triangular fight in Delhi.
The third place is reserved for the Congress. It has a history of being third, if you look at the past four elections in the capital. Maybe all seven of their candidates will forfeit their deposits. The Congress has no presence on the ground. No Congress leader wanted to contest elections this time. Most of their candidates wanted an assurance from their party leadership that even if they lose this election, they will not be denied a ticket for the assembly polls.
How do you look at your rivals in East Delhi?
Arvinder Singh Lovely is likely to forfeit his deposit. We can just show photographs of what the schools used to look like in 2015, when he left as education minister. And unfortunately for [BJP’s] Gautam Gambhir, Delhi has never voted for celebrities. The likes of Shatrughan Sinha and Smriti Irani contested here and lost.
Why should people vote for the AAP?
East Delhi is one of the most neglected parts of the city. It did not have proper educational or health care facilities. A lot of East Delhi lives in unauthorised colonies and did not have access to water supply or sewerage. Whatever development has happened is because of the AAP.
But there are so many things we are not able to do because the Central government disrupts our work.
Why is full statehood for Delhi the mainstay of the AAP campaign?
Women’s security is such a big issue. But the police here report to the Centre, not to the Delhi government. So, if women in the capital have to feel secure, the Delhi Police has to come under the elected government in Delhi. The youth in Delhi do not get admission in colleges here. They do not get jobs. The people do not get houses at affordable rates. This is the reason we are emphasising on full statehood.
How will you do that, with just seven MPs at the most?
The Modi government is not coming back and there will be a coalition government. And in a coalition government, seven seats is a huge number. We are not going to make any demands in terms of ministries or posts. We will support any non-BJP government that promises full statehood to Delhi.
What gives the AAP an edge over the others?
The AAP does not contest elections in the last 15 days, with its candidates just waving their hands and [with] a media blitzkrieg. We have been working on the ground for more than eight months. I have been to every part of the constituency and I have conducted hundreds of meetings. A candidate who gets 15 days to contest is never going to reach those many people.