The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which is making its debut in Karnataka with the Assembly elections next year, plans to showcase the Delhi model of governance and fight elections on ‘real issues’.

“The party has identified key issues like farmers’ distress, collapse of Bengaluru, corruption in governance and neglect of different regions,” said Prithvi Reddy, a member of AAP’s national executive.

“Since we have already created awareness in some parts of the State about proactive policies adopted in New Delhi, we will be highlighting the Delhi model of pro-people participative governance like mohalla clinics and mohalla sabas as we go forward,” he added.

Senior party leader Sanjay Singh has visited Bengaluru to study the State unit’s preparedness for polls.

Reddy said on Thursday AAP-Karnataka gave a detailed presentation and preparation plan to Singh. The election plan will now be placed before the national PAC for final approval.

Reddy said the State ranks number two in the country in terms of number of farmers suicides. In 2016-17, 848 farmers had committed suicide in Karnataka, he added. The Congress government in the State has failed the farmers by not providing appropriate support prices, compensation or even water for irrigation, he further said.

The Karnataka BJP, with 44 MLAs and 20 MPs, also failed the farmers by not lobbying with the Centre for a better compensation package or water from neighbouring States, said Reddy. The JDS had once again shed ‘crocodile tears’ and done little else, he added.

Reddy also said successive governments have failed to arrest the ‘collapse’ of Bengaluru. “All three parties (BJP, Congress, JDS) have collectively looted the city and are responsible for the making Kempe Gowda’s Bengaluru from pensioner’s paradise and garden city into living nightmare and garbage city,” he alleged.

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