Bhubaneswar: Promising to become a "credible alternative" in Odisha's political landscape, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has set its sights firmly on the upcoming panchayat elections, with plans to strengthen its presence at the grassroots.

Addressing party workers in Bhubaneswar on Sunday, AAP MP Sanjay Singh said the party has already begun groundwork to expand its organisational base across the state. District, block, and booth-level committees are being formed to ensure direct engagement with voters in rural areas.

Singh announced that AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal will soon visit Odisha to energise cadres and interact with workers. "Our focus is booth-level mobilisation. We want to connect directly with people and address local issues," Singh said, adding that preparations for the rural polls, expected early next year, are underway.

He also criticised the ruling BJP government, alleging unfulfilled promises such as free electricity and pointing to rising violence and unemployment despite Odisha's mineral wealth. Singh described the "double-engine government" as a "kabad (useless) engine."

For AAP, the push into Odisha's villages marks a bid to translate its urban governance model into rural credibility, aiming to reshape the state's political narrative from the ground up.