LS polls: AAP may emerge as third force in MP, says Alok Agarwal

Narmada Bachao Aandolan (NBA) leader Alok Agarwal, who has been named as the AAP nominee from Madhya Pradesh's Khandwa constituency for the Lok Sabha election, has said that there is a strong possibility of his party emerging as a "third force" in the state.

"Be it the BJP or Congress, both the parties indulge in politics of loot. People of this region are fed up with them. There is a strong possibility of Aam Aadmi Party emerging as a third force, as the voters are now looking for a better alternative," the 46-year-old leader told PTI over phone on Sunday.

AAP can provide a strong alternative to the voters of the state, claimed Agarwal, who is a 1989 batch graduate in chemical engineering from IIT Kanpur.  He said the entire organisational network of NBA is supporting AAP.  Announcing the launch of his campaign for the elections, he said, "During the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, while raising the national issues like unemployment and inflation, we would also take up the local issues."

Apart from corruption and poverty, we would also raise burning issues like rise in crimes against women and the problems of farmers and tribals, he said.  The NBA leader has been named as AAP nominee from Khandwa seat, in the party's first list of 20 Lok Sabha candidates released on Sunday.

Agarwal will be contesting from Khandwa seat, which is presently represented by state Congress president and former Union minister Arun Yadav.  He alleged that Yadav had forgotten the Khandwa constituency, ever since his victory in 2009 and failed to raise issues of the region.