AAP optimistic about BMC polls

New Delhi: All set to contest in the coming BMC elections, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is gearing up its poll campaign in Mumbai. Eyeing the civic polls, it has strengthened its organisational structure and is conducting door-to-door campaigning to strike a chord with people. A party leader said, “We are going to contest the BMC in a big way this time.”
The 227-ward corporation is currently helmed by Shiv Sena and AAP does not have any corporator. The last election results saw Shiv Sena acquiring 14.5 lakh votes, BJP had 13.5 lakh votes, Congress 8 lakh, NCP 2.5 lakh and Samajwadi Party 1.2 lakh. But it’s noteworthy that AAP got 2.7 lakh votes, which was more than that of the NCP.
This time, AAP is going to field its candidates across all 236 wards, which was 227 last time. The party members think the increase in wards has disrupted their political calculations. The party leader said: “We don’t know what the boundaries are because of the addition of 9 wards. The boundaries are automatically going to be impacted. So we have to give a fresh look at the wards all again.”
The party has already declared around 80 ward presidents, who are trying to build the organisation from the ground level. According to party leaders, AAP has approximately 15,000 members in Mumbai and 2,000 active volunteers across the city.
Ruben Mascarenhas, working president of its Mumbai unit, told ‘The Sunday Guardian’: “BMC is the fountainhead of corruption in Maharashtra. Such is the magnitude of corruption that it has become a part of every citizen’s life. BMC has failed to provide basic governance and a dignified life to the Mumbaikars. Right now, we are focusing on building our grassroots and giving the best candidates, with a proven track record of service.”
The AAP functionary said, “There is a change in the reservation criteria, last time there was 27% OBC reservation but the Supreme Court has cancelled all kinds of reservations now. There are too many moving things right now, there is no clarity.” The apex court on Wednesday upheld its judgment that if there is no empirical data, the State cannot provide the reservation to OBC. The local body had approximately 18% seats set for STs and SCs.
The party believes the coming electoral results will let it gain ground and strengthen it at the grassroots. If so, the party will have to break through the dominant regional party Shiv Sena, which has 97 corporators at present and national parties BJP and Congress with 80 and 29 corporators respectively.
Even a small progress by AAP this time would change the political winds in Maharashtra, give the party a foothold in the State and consolidate its national ambitions. In the last Chandigarh municipal elections, AAP managed to stun the old horses, BJP and Congress, and won 14 seats in a 35-seat corporation. The party also draws optimism from the local elections it won in Gujarat and Maharashtra.