AAP to contest 'maximum' seats in most states in Lok Sabha poll; Kejriwal not to contest

New Delhi: Outlining its national ambitions, AAP on Saturday announced it will contest 'maximum' number of seats in most states in upcoming Lok Sabha polls and the first list of its candidates will be out in the next 10-15 days.

However, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal ruled out his contesting Lok Sabha polls, hours after a senior leader said he wants to see him as Prime Minister.

"I am not contesting the Lok Sabha elections. Out of affection for me, Yogendra Yadav has said that," he told reporters when they asked him about Yadav's remark that his dream is to see Kejriwal as Prime Minister.

Kejriwal said the politics of the day is not that who will be the PM.

"Neither Rahul Gandhi nor Narendra Modi nor Arvind Kejriwal is important. The country's politics is fight against inflation and corruption. People are fed up with these two malaise pervading the country."

Earlier in the day, the party had made it clear that the decision on PM candidate will be taken after the results. Kejriwal and all the top leaders attended a two-day meeting of the National Executive of the party that will conclude on Sunday.

"AAP will contest Lok Sabha Elections in most states and in the maximum number of seats. We will try to declare the list of maximum candidates by mid-February or latest by the end of next month," senior leader Prashant Bhushan told reporters.

Asked whether Kejriwal will be declared the PM candidate, he said this issue was not to be decided today.

"Arvind Kejriwal is the supreme leader of the party but we have not decided on the name of our Prime Ministerial candidate. It does not hold importance to us who will be our PM candidate," said Bhushan.

Senior party leader Kumar Vishaws said, "it's too early to say who will contest elections. At present, Kejriwal is concentrating on Delhi and along with that looking at the party's strategy for Lok Sabha elections."

Speaking to reporters, senior AAP leader Yogendra Yadav had said that the country must have better options than Rahul Gandhi and Narendra Modi for the Prime Minister's post.

Asked if he would like to see Kejriwal as the Prime Minister he said, "We have again and again said that Rahul and Modi's fight (for the post) is unfortunate. The country must have better options than this.

"But are we in the position to (say that Kejriwal should occupy the post). We will have to discuss hat. My dream is to see Kejriwal as Prime Minister. He is capable of it but in politics one has to see ....strength and where we stand," he said.

Another leader Sanjay Singh said, "The first list of AAP candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections will be out in 10 to 15 days. The process which was followed during Delhi polls for selection of candidates will be followed in Lok Sabha also."

He said the party will contest elections from states where it has a reasonable structure and where it will find honest candidates.

"During the next one month, the party will hold meetings in every state to finalise the name of Lok Sabha candidates. Candidates facing criminal and corruption charges and questions on their moral character will not be given tickets," Singh added.

Singh said that like Delhi assembly elections, the party will have separate manifestos for each constituency for Lok Sabha elections.

Responding to a query on whether AAP will cut into BJP’s urban votes and damage Narendra Modi’s Prime Ministerial aspirations, Singh said the party has emerged as an alternative to Congress and BJP and it is not contesting election to 'benefit' or 'hurt' any party.

"Rahul Gandhi and Narendra Modi are not poll issues for us, we are here to eradicate the problems of the people," Singh added.

"People in rural areas are as excited about AAP as those in urban areas. There are places were people in villages are even more excited," Bhushan said. Bhushan added that people now want an alternative to Congress and BJP and AAP is a people's movement, not just a political party.

"AAP believes that the government should run as per the wishes of the people," he added.

Singh, who is part of two-member sub-committee for Lok Sabha election of the party, said there's excitement in states about the party's prospects and a large number of people want to join AAP.

The party has already invited applications for the candidates wanting to contest Lok Sabha elections.

Apart from Delhi, key party functionaries from Maharashtra, Karnataka, Haryana and Tamil Nadu are present for the national executive meeting.

Other than Kejriwal, his ministerial colleague Manish Sisodia, senior party members like Yogendra Yadav, Prashant Bhushan, Sanjay Singh, Anjali Damania and Mayank Gandhi were also present at the meet.