(AAP)t time for Aam Aadmi Party’s entry as Karnataka electorate looks for alternatives?

As the three major parties in Karnataka — Congress, BJP and JD(S) — continue to focus their energies on building a strong presence in North Karnataka, there has been a quiet contender making a small but significant entry into the region.

Last week, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) won its first seat in a Karnataka election by registering a victory in the Bidar City Municipal Council elections.

Several AAP-backed candidates won the recently-held gram panchayat polls in Raichur, Kalaburagi and Bidar as well. This is the first time that the Arvind Kejriwal-led party has contested urban local body polls or backed candidates in gram panchayat (GP) polls.

With Karnataka’s political narrative built around Bengaluru as its power centre, the party aims to make an impact in the neglected districts of North Karnataka, according to AAP leaders.

Even though the party-backed GP candidates have also won in Shivamogga (06), Chikkamagaluru (12), Mysuru (2) and Kolar (3), North Karnataka region is where it has seen significant wins - Raichur (27), Kalaburagi (11) and Bidar (6).

AAP leaders said the party had a strong volunteer base in Hubballi, Dharwad and Raichur, even though it did not have a strong leader there at present. In urban and semi-urban areas in the region, there is anger that they have been neglected by prominent parties, they say.

“For instance, in ward 33 in Bidar where the party has won, more than 50% do not have access to water. There was a lot of frustration among people,” AAP state joint secretary Darshan Jain explains.

The AAP began building its base in Karnataka with an eye on BBMP polls. By diversifying into politics of rural Karnataka, it seems that the party has added an unexpected trajectory to its growth story in the state.

What made it foray into rural space? According to AAP state convenor Prithvi Reddy, expanding the party’s reach to rural areas was in line with its ideology of pro-people governance.

“Janara terige, janara sevege” (people’s tax for people’s service) has been the slogan in all these elections, he says.

In a region where caste dynamics are believed to play a significant role in winning elections, how did AAP manage to negotiate these dynamics?

“Caste dynamics is an illusion created by political parties that do not have much else to offer to people. If people have to choose between the devil and the deep sea, money and muscle power come into play. The existing three parties are substitutes for one another but not an alternative. We brought real issues to the table and that made all the difference,” Reddy said.

What worked for the party is that it went into specifics of issues faced by people in a particular region, instead of promising generic infrastructure development, he added.

In Bidar CMC for instance, the AAP is ready to tie up with a larger party.

However, they have five conditions, according to Reddy: Minimum of five schools of Bidar CMC have to be upgraded; One mohalla clinic has to be opened for at least 20,000 population; no contracts to be given to relatives of any council members; free drinking water; promotion of tourism and Bidar traditional art to create employment.

The party plans to contest all the zilla panchayat and taluk panchayat elections in the coming days, even as it is also eyeing the Assembly elections in 2023.

Experts opine that the party has a long way to go in terms of growth in Karnataka.

According to political analyst Sandeep Shastri, the true test for a party to measure its growth would be in the Assembly elections.

“One needs to understand that in local body elections, local specificities play a role. If AAP has done well in pockets in North Karnataka, it is probably because of individuals in the party who have done ground work at that level and have been able to win people’s trust.”