How AAP plotted its breakthrough win in Rajasthan — and what comes next

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has secured a significant victory in the Baran Municipal Council elections, winning 31 out of 60 seats in Rajasthan. This marks the end of the BJP and Congress era in the civic body, with the Congress party securing 18 seats and the BJP nine. Independent candidates won the remaining two seats. Devendra Shastri, AAP's Rajasthan election in-charge, stated that 42 of the 299 candidates the party fielded successfully won their seats.

The next target for AAP is to perform well in the upcoming panchayat polls, with plans to field candidates in zilla parishad polls and sarpanch polls. Their strategy in the civic polls revolved around development principles advocated by Arvind Kejriwal. The campaign heavily focused on bringing younger candidates into local politics, with Kamal Rathore, a councillor elected in Baran, emphasizing the participation of candidates below 45 years of age to project AAP as a younger alternative to the BJP and Congress.

Rathore, who previously served as an ABVP member, Congress councillor, and acting Municipal Council chairperson, played a pivotal role in the AAP's victory. His efforts in Baran's development, particularly in sanitation and sewerage, earned him popularity among the people. After the results, Rathore and the newly elected councillors are staying at a resort outside Baran to avoid being approached by rival parties.

The resentment against the dominant BJP and Congress parties in Baran politics, which have ruled for over three decades, contributed to AAP's success, with residents expressing a desire for change and a focus on civic amenities.