AAP announces its "first win" in Haryana's local body elections

|HT|

The Aam Aadmi Party on Wednesday announced its "first win" in Haryana shortly after counting began for the local body elections. The state is witnessing counting for 18 municipal councils and 28 municipalities for which polling was held on Sunday.

In a tweet, the AAP wrote in Hindi: "Aam Aadmi Party's first electoral victory in Haryana. Ward No-1 of Sohna @AamAadmiParty candidate wins by 408 votes."

Arvind Kejriwal, who hails from the state, recently visited Kurukshetra as he campaigned for the party for the civic polls. “Mujhe rajniti nahin karni aati, mai seedha sadha chora hu (I don't know politics, I'm a simple man). I know how to work… make me work as much as you want."

He also said that he felt good when he was hailed as "Haryana ka lal(the son of the state)". Promising a "big political storm", Kejriwal had - at the time - told a political gathering: "After Punjab, it's Haryana's turn".

The AAP has been scaling up its political ambitions ahead of the 2024 national elections. It is also eyeing the Himachal Pradesh state elections where the BJP is in power. The Himachal assembly elections are due later this year. Meanwhile, in Haryana, the BJP has been trying to maximise gains. BJP's Arun Tyagi won president's election from Ganaur Municipal committee in Sonepat district as counting proceeded on Wednesday.

The BJP has a seat-sharing arrangement with its coalition partner, the JJP for the local body polls.

The Congress, meawnhile, is not fighting these elections and is backing independent candidates.

(Except for the headline and the pictorial description, this story has not been edited by THE DEN staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)