Aam Aadmi Army heads back to barracks; after elections volunteers returning to normal lives

NEW DELHI: They were the Aam Aadmi Party’s ( AAP) backbone for months during the assembly election season. Many had put their lives on hold to help party leader Arvind Kejriwal rewrite the Capital’s political discourse. But with the high-decibel campaign falling silent and polling finally over, the volunteers are now getting back to their normal lives, albeit reluctantly. Shilium Shatransu is one of them.

The 29 year old, who went on unpaid leave for the last two months to volunteer with the party, is returning to his job with Jet Airways in Delhi next week. Although the stint with the Aam Aadmi Party demanded personal sacrifices, the experience, he said, has changed him forever.

“Professionally I lost a lot, but personally, I have never been happier. I have never worked this passionately for a cause ever before in my life. You could even say that I was obsessed,” Shilium Shatransu said.

The obsession, in fact, has changed the career path of some volunteers. Vasudha Kaul, for instance, will be going back to Bangalore soon, but she won’t revive her NGO there. She plans to be associated with the Aam Aadmi Party full time in Bangalore, as well. As long as she can survive on her savings from her old job, Vasudha Kaul said.

“My stint with AAP was meant to be temporary. But when I go back I will help in expanding the party’s small office and work in Bangalore,” said the 25 year old, who was in Delhi for the last two months helping AAP’s campaign in the Shalimar Bagh constituency.

According to Munish Raizada, member of the party’s volunteer engagement programme, the AAP’s army of volunteers (some estimates peg the number at over one lakh) was largely made of part timers and the party’s mobilisation strategy — its door-to-door campaign, especially — rested largely on the shoulders of these youngsters. While a large chunk of outstation volunteers left the city immediately after the ban on campaigning set in on Monday evening, there are a few who have chosen to wait till the results, which will be declared on Sunday. But party offices in every constituency now wear a deserted look.

For many volunteers their association with the party and Arvind Kejriwal has not ended with the Delhi assembly elections. Some like Bharat Kumar Mishra, who goes back to his business in Mumbai on December 10, hopes that an impressive performance in Delhi will encourage the party to fight the upcoming elections in Maharashtra. “If they do, then I would definitely help them in my state. It goes without saying,” he said.

But does the party have such plans? “The results on December 8 will decide future course of our action,” said Munish Raizada.