Mehraj Malik, flanked by AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal (left), and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann during a public meeting in Doda on October 13.
Credit: PTI Photo
New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday made a claim for a berth in the National Conference-Congress alliance government in Jammu and Kashmir for Mehraj Malik, its lone MLA from Doda.
Malik defeated BJP's Gajay Singh Rana by 4,538 votes in the recently-held elections, with the union territory becoming the fifth state or UT where the party now has an MLA. While it is in power in Delhi and Punjab, it has MLAs in Gujarat and Goa too.
"We have appealed to the alliance partners to ensure our MLA is given a space in the government that is soon to be formed," AAP Rajya Sabha leader Sanjay Singh told reporters.
He also demanded that the union government immediately grant full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir and honour the promise given by both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah during the campaign.
On Sunday, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal himself had said in Doda, "AAP is formally supporting the Omar-led government, and I hope Mehraj Malik will be entrusted with the responsibility to not only serve Doda but the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir.
With Malik’s victory, AAP hopes to expand its reach in the union territory and Kejriwal’s visit is seen as the first step in this direction.
In his rally to felicitate Malik, he asked the “public-spirited youths” to join AAP. However, AAP will also have to explain its support for revoking special status for the state of Jammu and Kashmir in Parliament five years ago
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