The Aam Aadmi Party has said it will not contest in upcoming elections in Uttar Pradesh, but it will campaign against the Bharatiya Janata Party there. The regional party is contesting in polls in Goa and Punjab. Elections begin in five states from February 4 and end on March 8.

AAP spokesperson Vaibhav Maheshwari said the ruling BJP has “betrayed the country” and called it “the biggest devil in national politics”, PTI reported. “This move is to ensure that Uttar Pradesh is not made to pay heavily in case of a wrong decision by the people as the state politics make a big impact on national politics, with the next Lok Sabha polls scheduled two years hence,” he said.

Though AAP is currently only elected in the state of Delhi, the party is said to be looking at playing a bigger role in national politics, under the leadership of Arvind Kejriwal. Uttar Pradesh is the state with the most Assembly seats – 403 – in the country.

The BJP has come under severe criticism from several Opposition parties after it demonetised Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes on November 8.