Following a debacle in the recently-concluded Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has now pinned its hopes on civic body polls to emerge as an alternative to the Congress Party in the state. In a recent meeting chaired by the party’s national convener Arvind Kejriwal, it was decided that AAP would contest the civic polls in UP with all its might, according to reports.

Besides activating its grassroots workers in the state, the party would also organise rallies all across the state. All senior leaders of the party, including Delhi CM Kejriwal and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, will address rallies. The party has even come up with a new slogan for the civic polls — Desh mein Modi, pradesh mein Yogi, nikay mein AAP ko aazmao (You voted for Modi in general elections, for Yogi in state elections, now try AAP for civic polls).

According to poll observers, the party’s slogan has been smartly written to sway both BJP and non-BJP voters. Unlike other poll slogans that lambast all other parties in the fray, AAP’s slogan for UP civic polls urges voters — even the ones who have voted for BJP in Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections — to give them a chance in the municipal bodies. Experts say that a slogan attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi or UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath would have been counter-productive. Therefore, the party slogan for civic polls could be appealing to voters. Just like the state assembly polls, AAP leader Sanjay Singh will be the in-charge of Uttar Pradesh civic elections as well.

Meanwhile, the party has also decided that it would field credible candidates, who have either fought independently or finished as runner-ups in previous civic polls in the state. Further, the party would appoint an in-charge for each of the 17 municipal bodies in the state to streamline its election campaign.

The UP civic polls are due to be held towards the end of this year.