Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said his party is ready to contest the assembly polls in various states, including Uttar Pradesh and Punjab.
The AAP national convenor made the remark soon after the Election Commission announced the poll schedules for five states, including Uttarakhand, Manipur and Goa, besides UP and Punjab assemblies.
The AAP has decided to contest in all these states barring Manipur.
The dates for the elections have been announced. The Aam Aadmi Party is ready, Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi.
On the other hand, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday welcomed the announcement of poll dates in the state and said the BJP will return to power with an "overwhelming majority".
The Election Commission has announced seven-phase voting in Uttar Pradesh starting February 10. Counting of votes will take place in March, along with four other poll-bound states.
"We welcome the festival of democracy.
"With the blessings of the people and on the basis of the double engine government's achievements, the BJP will form its government with an overwhelming majority," Adityanath tweeted in Hindi.
The state will go to polls on February 10, February 14, February 20, February 23, February 27, March 3 and March 7.
Counting of votes in Uttar Pradesh, along with Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur, will take place on March 10.
The BJP has already announced Adityanath as its chief ministerial face in the politically crucial state.
The assembly elections in five states will be held between February 10 and March 7 in seven phases, as announced by Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra at a press conference earlier in the day.
Congress takes a swipe at BJP before 5 state polls
Rahul Gandhi File picture
After the Election Commission announced the schedule for assembly polls in five states, the Congress on Saturday said this is an opportunity for people to defeat the BJP and put an end to unemployment, price rise and atrocities against women and Dalits.
Congress general secretary and chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the party will fight strongly the elections in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Manipur and Punjab, to be held between February 10 and March 7.
He expressed confidence that the party will again win in Punjab and oust the BJP from power in the remaining four states.
Welcoming the Election Commission announcement of the poll schedule, Surjewala said this is an opportunity for the people of these states to defeat the BJP and those forces which are anti-farmer.
He said the people would vote out the BJP to put an end to price rise, atrocities and rising crime against women and Dalits.
"Every Congress worker and leader will contest strongly these elections in five states and will defeat the BJP governments in four states and will retain the Congress government in Punjab," he told reporters.
"This is a chance to defeat the BJP as well as price rise and inflation. Farmers also have a chance to punish those who retained a union minister despite his and his son's involvement in the mowing down of farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri.
"The youth also have a chance to defeat the BJP and unemployment. Defeat the BJP and unemployment with "vote ki chot". Our women also have a chance to defeat the BJP over the atrocities and rising crime against women. Dalits also have a chance in these five states to get themselves freed from the atrocities on Dalits under BJP rule," he said.
Surjewala said these elections offer a golden opportunity for defeating inflation, rising unemployment, rising crime against women and atrocities against Dalits and those who have an anti-farmer mindset.
"The double-engine governments in UP, Goa, Manipur and Uttarakhand have proved a double failure," he said.
"We urge the EC to ensure a level-playing field in these elections," he said.
