SHIMLA: Aam Aadmi Party has declared its candidates on all 68 constituencies for the state assembly election to be held on November 12 in Himachal Pradesh thereby, sounding a clarion call to the two traditional rivals BJP and Congress, making the contest triangular in most constituencies.
Though AAP has no "fire brand state level leader of the likes of Bhagwant Mann in Punjab", who can lead the campaign in Himachal Pradesh, but AAP has declared its candidates on all 68 segments for the first time to make some inroads in Kangra-Una-Solan and the border areas of Punjab.
AAP today released its List 3 declaring rest of the 10 remaining candidates. It had declared List 2 of 54 candidates on Wednesday.
The Party had already declared its candidates on four seats earlier.
AAP, however, faces uncertainty on Sullah seat in Kangra, where estranged BJP Leader Ravinder Singh Ravi has been allotted the party ticket.
BJP has also placated Ravi, an avid Prof Prem Kumar Dhumal's supporter, by fielding him from Jawalamukhi, a seat which is not of his liking, said Ravi's supporters.
Ravi has yet to take a call on his choice of party and choice of seats as well.
AAP has also fielded three "armymen"- Capt Baldev Raj(Jawali), Col Manish Dhiman(Dehra)- Lt Col Ram Krishan( Sri Renuka Ji(Sirmaur)- in its bid to cash in on the large presence of ex-servicemen and serving soldiers from the state mainly in Bilaspur-Hamirpur-Kangra belt.
AAP has fielded new faces instead of poaching on the estranged faces from BJP and Congress that has given surprise to the ruling BJP and Congress.
AAP has tried to give the message that they are giving clean and new faces.
AAP state president Surjeet Thakur and Himachal Affairs incharge Harjot Sing Bains released the party candidates list 2 today.
There are indications that AAP Supremo and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been focusing his both eyes on Gujarat, the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to make a political cut targeting the anti-incumbency of decades of BJP rule in Gujarat.
Kejriwal along with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Deputy Chief Minister Delhi Manish Sisodia will be the main campaigners for the AAP candidates in Himachal Pradesh taking on the might of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Jagat Prakash Nadda and Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur in Himachal Pradesh.
BJP central leaders would be main campaigners taking the Modi's Double engine government mantra to last voters in a state, where no Party has been able to repeat the government for the last over 30 years or so,
As far as Congress is concerned it would be Priyanka Gandhi, Bhupesh Baghel, Chattisgarh Chief Minister, Ashok Gehlot CM of Rajasthan, Sachin Pilot and PCC President and Mandi Lok Sabha MP Pratibha Singh and former Union Minister Anand Sharma in most constituencies, Sukhvinder Singh Sukkhu mainly in Hamirpur and Mukesh Agnihotri mainly in Una and younger leaders like Vikramaditya Singh in Shimla and Mandi as well.
AAP is also fanning out among voters that the BJP and Congress are playing a "Fixed match" over the years in Himachal Pradesh.