Ghaziabad used to be the hub of political activities of the Aam Aadmi Party when it was founded in 2012. However this time, the party is missing from the constituency for the general election contest.
The party has not fielded a candidate from the seat, for which nominations were closed on Monday.
Prominent leaders of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), including Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Deputy CM Manish Sisodia and Kumar Vishwas used to live in Ghaziabad.
After the party won Delhi elections in 2013, Mr Kejriwal and Mr. Sisodia shifted to Delhi but Kumar Vishwas and others continued to stay in Ghaziabad.
Defeated in 2014
The party’s decision has not gone well with the local workers who are feeling dejected.
“Arvind [Kejriwal] has asked us to focus on elections in Delhi, Haryana and Punjab. He has asked Ghaziabad AAP workers to support the party in Delhi but workers are not enthusiastic about it as they needed representation in the city,” said Devender Thakur, founder member of national council of AAP.
During 2014 Lok Sabha election, Shazia Ilmi who fought on AAP ticket, had lost. She stood on the fifth position with 89,125 votes while BJP candidate V.K. Singh had won the election with record margin. He had secured 7,58,482 votes.
An AAP worker, who wished not to be identified, said that he still remembers the struggle they had witnessed while establishing the party office in Kaushambi. The party used to operate from three rooms of a house.
“I got injured when the party office was attacked by right-wing activists. All prominent leaders of AAP were humble and knew each of the party worker by name. But soon after the party office shifted to Delhi, they forgot Ghaziabad completely,” said the AAP worker.
In 2013, Mr. Kejriwal used to call Janta Darbar at the Kaushambi office and people from all over Delhi used to attend public grievances meeting. For several days, Mr. Kejriwal lived at Girnar Apartments in Kaushambi of Ghaziabad and operated from here. Later, he shifted his official residence.
Consider revival
Mr. Thakur said the party has ignored the workers in Ghaziabad. “Workers in Ghaziabad are demotivated. Party needs to think over its revival in Ghaziabad,” said Mr. Thakur.
On Tuesday, nomination of AAP candidate Shweta Sharma from Gautam Buddh Nagar (Noida) Lok Sabha seat was rejected as she failed to find 10 mandatory proposers. The party will not have any candidate for Lok Sabha election from Noida and Ghaziabad.
