Spurred by Delhi success, AAP eyes Bengaluru civic polls

After its overwhelming victory in Delhi Assembly elections, Aam Aadmi party is eyeing to make its mark in the country's IT capital through city civic polls.

"Yes we are preparing for BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) elections. We will be contesting all the seats," AAP's senior functionary V Balakrishnan told PTI.

He said "planning is already on. Through 'Bombat Bangalore' similar to 'Delhi Dialogue' that we had in Delhi we will be interacting with people in all the wards. Based on the interactions we will be preparing agenda for each of the wards."

There is uncertainty about BBMP elections that is slated for April as the government is mulling about bifurcation of the civic body.

Stating that there is a string of similarity between Bengaluru and Delhi, Balakrishnan said "whether it is bad governance, garbage issues, power problem, water and road related issues, the issues are similar. So I think there will be greater acceptance for AAP as an alternative in Bangalore."

Halting the Modi juggernaut, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had yesterday scored a landslide victory in the Delhi Assembly election by winning 67 of the 70 seats after steamrolling BJP leaving it with only three seats and decimating Congress which drew a blank.

Balakrishnan, former CFO of IT major Infosys, was also coordinator of a group called "Well wishers of AAP" that had organised Rs 20,000-per person fund-raising dinner with Kejriwal in the city before Lok Sabha polls.

AAP that made its political debut in Karnataka aiming big has performed very dismally with its vote count in the state lesser than NOTA and votes secured here lesser than its membership base in the city.

Among different states, Karnataka had raised the maximum funds for the party during the Lok Sabha polls and the state stood third in the funds collected for the last Delhi polls.

Kejriwal was in the city for a fund raising event on January 11 as part of the preparations for the recent Delhi polls.

Balakrishnan also said that the city should have a CEO like full-term Mayor for the city.

"I think what Bengaluru needs is a directly elected Mayor, right now the the Mayors' tenure is just one year. This has led to a situation where a single person won't have control over the affairs of BBMP as it keeps on changing," he said.

"Five years tenure for a Mayor is the way to go and he should function as a CEO of the city," he added.