Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Karnataka released its third list of candidates for the Assembly Polls that are scheduled to take place on May 10. The list that was released on Monday contained 28 names and all the candidates will be contesting for the first time. In a statement from the party, it claimed that not only has AAP announced the most number of candidates till date but has also offered the people of Karnataka an honest choice in the 168 assembly seats out of the 224 constituencies, reported news agency IANS. The statement added that AAP has the most numbers of farmers, youth, women, and educated professionals statewide.
The statement read, "The criteria used to decide the winnability of our candidates is their integrity and their intent to serve rather than their money or muscle power. People of Karnataka are fed up with the existing three traditional parties and wanted an alternative, this is what AAP is offering a real change. The average age of our candidates is 47 year. A total number of 16 farmers, 13 women, 18 advocates, 10 doctors, 10 engineers have been given tickets. Candidates with Doctorates are five and those with with Masters degrees are 41, while graduates are 82."
The statement from the party further read, "We will fight the upcoming elections on the virtues of our candidates and the work that our party has done in Delhi and is doing in Punjab. We seek an opportunity to deliver the same pro-people governance and are confident that people of Karnataka will bless our candidates with their support and votes."
AAP's state media coordinator, Jagadish V. Sadam said, "The supposed grand old party Congress and the world's supposed largest party BJP are clearly nervous about the AAP's entry in Karnataka. They fear that their years of loot politics will come to an end and are trying to use their money and muscle power to damage AAP's campaign by threatening and attempting to bribe our candidates."