AAP sees 'huge potential' to grow in Maharashtra

MUMBAI: Asserting that it has "massive potential" to grow in Maharashtra, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) today announced a restructuring of its organisational unit here and kick-started a membership drive in the state, where it drew a blank in the Lok Sabha polls.

Despite faring badly in Lok Sabha polls and skipping the Assembly elections, the fledgling outfit maintained socially-inclined people were willing to join its ranks.

"Post the Lok Sabha elections, our volunteers have travelled to every nook and corner of the State, interacted with people in each zilla (district) and found that the party has massive potential to grow here."
"People from the urban and rural areas and those interested in working for a social cause are willing to join us," Mayank Gandhi, National Executive Member of AAP, told reporters here.

"We have held successful membership drives in Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala and Chhattisgarh and now we will be starting our drive in Maharashtra," he added.

The drive, currently underway in 19 other States, will focus on having at least 12 volunteers for each booth in Maharashtra in the next 8-10 months, he said.

He said party volunteers will undertake a tour of the Marathwada and Vidarbha regions in the next 15 days to interact with farmers reeling under severe drought.

"We will be setting up an anti-corruption helpline that will be operational in all the zillas. AAP wants to make sure that corruption, even at the smallest level, is stopped and people's faith in democracy restored."

State Convener of AAP Subhash Ware alleged that political parties, in their quest for power, have neglected the drought-hit farmers and failed to initiate action against perpetrators of atrocities on Dalits.

The current political scenario in Maharashtra shows that parties are playing with the sentiments of people and hankering for posts, said Ware, who unsuccessfully contested Lok Sabha election from Pune.

"Political parties have played with the sentiments of people. On one hand, NCP, that had given outside support to the (BJP) Government, has now claimed Leader of Opposition position, and on the other hand Shiv Sena, that has the LoP post, joined hands with BJP after a bitter split. Is this not a breach of trust of the people of Maharashtra?"