Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party to fight politics of dynasty

Only one member of a family can be working committee member

The new political outfit launched by Arvind Kejriwal and Prashant Bhushan, called Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), on Sunday, adopted a strong stance against politics of dynasty.

The party discussed the issues that concern the “aam aadmi” (common man). The constitution adopted by the party forbids more than one member of a family to get into its working committee.

The move suggests the activists-turned-politicians’ style of working as well as establishing certain ground rules which differentiate the party from other political outfits.
Party members said the AAP’s style of decision making and functioning will be different.

The party will not be led by a family or an individual. They said the issue of dynasty politics will have a nation-wide impact and they can take on many important parties—including the Congress, Samajwadi Party, Nationalist Congress Party, TDP and the DMK—at the same time.

The party constitution further forbids more than one member of a family from contesting the elections. It also laid stress on key issues related to forming a new political culture. The issues include agitation against money and muscle power in elections.

The party working committee worked through the entire day to zero in on key issues that immediately affect the masses and were making preparations to go before the people on Monday at Jantar Mantar.

“Besides those who have come from anti-graft movement led by Anna Hazare, we have a host of activists who have been fighting for justice demanding power to village sabhas and rights to deprived sections of society and protesting price rise and loot of natural resources. Now, we have a challenge before us to articulate these issues as a political party,” said a senior member of the AAP.

Attracting youth

The AAP leaders will strive for attracting the youth of India,  whom the party sees as a major role players, irrespective of caste, religion and class. The new party, unlike other parties, will not resort for any formula based on divisive social engineering.

“The main task before us is to work out programmes which make the party active at district levels. The issue of fighting corruption and rights issues will be there but we want to have a nation-wide campaign targeting the ills of our political and economic system,” the senior leader said.

Addressing his supporters at Rajghat, Kejriwal declared that he would “go around every village and town in the country for the next one year trying to convince people against the vote bank politics of the Congress and BJP.”

“The BJP and Congress used people only for votes,” he alleged. He asked youth to come to Jantar Mantar on Monday and join his party.