New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party named Punjab School Minister Harjot Singh Bains in charge of the party's political affairs in election-bound Himachal Pradesh on Friday. The party's decision comes on the same day that the Election Commission announced the schedule for the hill state's assembly elections. Himachal Pradesh's election notification will be issued on October 17, and voting will take place on November 12. The ballots will be counted on December 8. "Big announcement before Himachal elections. The AAP appoints Harjot Singh Bains as the 'prabhari' (in-charge) for Himachal Pradesh," The party tweeted from its official account. Following the announcement of the poll panel, the Aam Aadmi Party stated that it is ready for the Himachal Pradesh elections and is confident of receiving the people's mandate. When asked about his party's reaction to the announcement, AAP leader Durgesh Pathak said at a press conference, "We are ready for the elections." NDTV reported in an article.  He claimed that the party's teams in every village in Himachal Pradesh have been "working hard" to reach out to the masses and convey the AAP's message to voters. Mr Pathak is an MLA from Rajinder Nagar in Delhi and a member of the AAP's political affairs committee, the party's highest decision-making body.


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"I am fully confident that the people of Himachal Pradesh will definitely give a chance to AAP this time after looking at the work done by the Kejriwal government in Delhi," Mr Pathak said, referring to the way the Congress and the BJP looted the state during their reigns. The AAP government in Punjab, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, is now doing the same "amazing work," he added.


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So far, Himachal Pradesh politics has remained bipolar, with the Congress and the BJP remain the main contenders for the throne. The hill state, which is currently ruled by the BJP, is set to see a three-cornered fight this time, with the Kejriwal-led AAP joining the fray after a spectacular victory in the Punjab elections earlier this year.



The AAP is preparing to run for every seat in the assembly elections. Himachal Pradesh has a 68-member assembly, and the BJP won a clear majority in the 2017 elections by winning 44 seats. The Congress won 21 seats, while the Independents won two and the CPI(M) won one. According to the Election Commission, over 55 lakh voters in the hill state are eligible to vote in the upcoming elections.


(With agencies inputs)