AAP relies on Cong, BJP rebels to gain foothold in Hry

Gurgaon: AAP, which is independently contesting the Haryana assembly elections for the first time after alliance talks with Congress failed, has managed to gain ground in the final stages of campaigning, bolstered by the release of former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal from jail.
The party has fielded candidates for all seats, although the selection process has caused discontent among its workers.
Political analysts suggest that the AAP leadership has overlooked grassroots workers who helped establish the party's presence in Haryana, where it previously had no base. Instead, it has fielded "dummy/parachute candidates" who lack ground presence and popularity among voters. AAP's performance is expected to rely heavily on campaigning efforts of Kejriwal and other prominent leaders in the party.
In a strategic move, AAP has offered tickets to disgruntled ticket aspirants from both BJP and Congress, hoping to make inroads into their vote banks.
The party has embraced five rebels from BJP, three from Congress, and one from INLD. Haryana AAP president Sushil Gupta asserted that Kejriwal's bail is a resounding defeat for BJP and that the party is now poised to triumph in the assembly elections.
AAP has fielded BJP rebels Satish Yadav in Rewari constituency, Sunil Rao in Ateli, Krishna Bajaj in Thanesar and Jawahar Yadav in Bawaal. Among them, Bajaj worked with BJP for around 44 years.
The party also nominated Congress rebels Pradeep Jatoli in Pataudi and Bhim Singh Rathi in Radaur and Adarshpal Gurjar in Jagadhari. Gurjar, according to AAP workers, poses a serious threat to Congress candidate Akram Khan. It's likely to be an interesting fight between three Gurjars in the Jagadhri. BJP functionary Kanwar Pal and Congress's Adarsh Pal Singh are Hindu Gurjars, while Khan is a Muslim Gurjar.
Also, former INLD spokesperson Ranbir Singh Lohan joined AAP, who is now contesting from Narnaund. Earlier, he had announced his intention to contest the elections as an independent candidate.
Kejriwal campaigned in Faridabad on Wednesday for Ballabhgarh candidate Ravindra Faujdar, who is posing a strong challenge to the legacy leaders of BJP and Congress. AAP candidates have made the contest triangular in several constituencies. The party is particularly focused on the eight assembly seats of Kaithal and Kurukshetra districts, where Sushil Gupta had taken the lead in the Lok Sabha elections as a candidate of INDIA bloc.
AAP candidates are making their presence felt in various constituencies, such as Indu Sharma in Bhiwani, Rabia Kidwai in Nuh, Adarsh Pal in Jagadhri, and several others. These candidates are challenging their rivals from established parties. With Kejriwal's release on bail and his active involvement in the assembly poll campaign in the state, along with efforts of wife Sunita Kejriwal and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, AAP workers are filled with enthusiasm as the election approaches.