Although the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is not contesting the upcoming elections to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), some volunteers of the party have gone ahead and jumped into the fray by forming a group called Independent Warriors (IR).
But their action has created confusion among those campaigning for them as well as the voters. They wonder whom they should vote for: the AAP or the IR.
Speaking to reporters at a press conference here on Wednesday, IR spokesperson Narendra Kumar said that 16 candidates from the group were contesting. The group has been formed by candidates who are also associated with the AAP, but are not contesting on the party’s platform.
The AAP has refrained from contesting the elections and recognised the IR. But it has put a condition: the party’s symbols — broom and cap — should not be used. But there are instances of candidates and campaigners wearing the AAP cap. This is confusing the voters.
“Yes there is confusion and it’s being sorted out. Independent candidates are not supposed to wear the cap, but an AAP volunteer can wear it 24x7. Voters and the candidates should understand this,” Kumar said. He said the decision to contest on the group’s platform was to fulfil the promise made to the public that they would bring change.
“People have faith in us because they are fed up with the national parties and want a change. We are not funded by the AAP. The elections funds have been generated either by the candidate or the supporters. Six candidates have got support from the Bangalore Political Action Committee (BPAC),” he said.
Support on social media
The IR, he went on, is getting good support on social media as individuals as well as groups are demanding a change and have expressed faith in the group.
The candidates fielded by the IR are: Vinay Garuda (Hebbal, ward 33), Parvez Ahmed (Subhashnagar, ward 95), Sharat Chandra (Kodigehalli, ward 8), Arvind KB
(Govindarajanagar, ward 104), Amit Negi (Banaswadi, ward 27), Srikanth (Hampinagar, ward 133), Amjad Ansari (Manorayanapalya, ward 33), Richard (Jakkur, ward 5), Anand (Konena Agrahara, ward 133), Sowmya Mammadi (Srinagar, ward 156), Sivaram (KR Puram, ward 55), Geetha (Radhakrishna Temple, ward 18), Subbaiah (Sanjaynagar, ward 19), T N Shantakumari (Vidyaranyapura, ward 9), Ishwar (Ram Mandir, ward 108) and Muniraj (Begur, ward 192).
