Arvind Kejriwal today announced that the Aam Aadmi Party will contest the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections in 2022. With this, the key fight in Uttar Pradesh is expected to be among three parties – BJP, SP and AAP. The Congress and BSP will also be in fray but they are yet to catch up with the ruling BJP and the Samajwadi Party.

Last time the AAP fought the election in Uttar Pradesh was in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls. In 2014, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal fought against then prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi but lost badly. He lost the polls to Modi by over 3.5 lakh votes.

While making the announcement, the Delhi chief minister today said that the dirty politics and corrupt leaders of UP has kept the state away from the development. “Therefore, the facilities that people are getting in Delhi have not been found in UP yet,” Kejriwal said.

Kejriwal said that there is a lack of fair and clean politics in Uttar Pradesh. “It can only be given by the Aam Aadmi Party,” he said. The BJP has been in power in the largest state – in terms of population – by winning over 300 seats in 2017.

In 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the AAP contested 4 of 80 seats but lost in all four constituencies — Saharanpur, Aligarh, Allahabad, Gatam Budh Nagar. The AAP has its presence in Delhi, Punjab, and Haryana. In 2014, it tried to expand its base after success in Delhi but failed. Now, the party is again trying to increase its footprint in other states other than Delhi and Punjab.