india

Updated: Feb 28, 2014 13:03 IST

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has evidence to suggest that popular support for the party has increased in Delhi following the resignation of its government, senior AAP leader and strategist Yogendra Yadav told HT during an interview about the fledgling party’s national plans. He added that AAP hoped that this groundswell of support would boost its electoral prospects outside the national capital too.

“We have evidence to suggest that our popular support in Delhi has gone up… While we do not have evidence (of growing support outside Delhi) yet, I would guess that it would have worked to our overall advantage notwithstanding lot of adverse media commentary…”

While the exact number of seats AAP would contest in the upcoming general elections would depend on the availability of candidates, it would “definitely be on the higher end of the middle,” said Yadav, indicating that AAP is looking at contesting a little over half of the Lok Sabha’s 543 seats.

He admitted AAP was doing better in states where the anti- graft movement was strong, while states where cadre-based parties existed posed a challenge. “Wherever there is a sheer disgust with ruling and opposition parties, we have a good chance.”

According to Yadav, AAP had a good support base in Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, parts of UP, Maharashtra, Karnataka and urban areas across the country, and expected to do well in these areas. But it could find the going difficult in West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, parts of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and the Northeastern states, where it may struggle to find candidates.