The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) released its manifesto for the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections yesterday in Delhi. The manifesto focuses solely on full statehood of Delhi, and has no mention of LGBTQ people or their rights. The manifesto doesn’t have any mention of transgender well being either.
That the party has totally ignored even transgender rights is strange, given that the AAP has fielded a transgender person from Praygraj in Uttar Pradesh. Mahamandaleshwar Bhawani Nath Valmiki, a member of the Kinnar Akhada, is fighting on an AAP ticket. The party is the only one to have given a ticket to a transgender candidate.
On the other hand, both Congress and CPIM have expressed support for the wider gamut of LGBTQ rights in their respective manifestos. BJP, while remaining silent on LGBQ rights, does express its support for transgender rights in its manifesto.
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