Can AAP engine take the heat of speed?

NEW DELHI: There's growing disquiet in the fledgling AAP as it expands at break-neck speed to meet exigencies of the national polls. Some of this is because of disillusionment among older members with what they perceive as pragmatism taking precedence over values and some because hopefuls have been denied tickets.


On Sunday, it was the latter when in Gurgaon over 250 members led by local convenor Ramesh Yadav quit after raising anti-Kejriwal slogans as soon as the leader took the stage. Caste and other considerations had taken precedence over party ideals, they said. Yogendra Yadav, AAP's Gurgaon candidate claimed the group was indulging in antiparty activities and would've been expelled. "Our party has strong ideals. When people join us they realize we're not fighting for posts but to change the system. Those who don't believe in our values will leave on their own," Arvind Kejriwal said after his party took office in Delhi last year.

But is this the sole reason for disenchantment? Many members, AAP's NRI supporters included, are unhappy that democratic processes have been given the go-by in the rush to expand. Often the ability to win a seat has taken precedence over candidates with a better track record in social work, they say.

Since last December, when the Delhi election results were announced, over 1 crore affiliated with AAP. The party began expanding. Viewed as an alternative to Congress and BJP, AAP became the hub for ticket seekers who thought it'd give them an easy platform to further political careers.

Party members associated with it since the anti-corruption stir, were miffed when the parliamentary affairs committee overlooked the "old workforce" promoting newcomers. And since LS tickets started getting announced, there were many resignations.

Sulking party MLA Vinod Binny was among the fi rst to go. Apparently nursing a grouse over being denied an LS ticket of his choice, he publicly criticized Kejriwal and was expelled. Recently, a New Delhi ticket hopeful quit and held an anti-Kejriwal rally. Vishal Khosla's Facebook profile introduces him as "Probable AAP candidate from New Delhi LS constituency".

AAP leader Prashant Bhushan says: "When a party expands so quickly, opportunists sneak in. This has happened with AAP because our systems for checking are not totally perfect. Where we get credible information, we remove the person."

Asked why founder members like Madhu Bhaduri and Ashok Agarwal left, he says, "To some extent their grievance is legitimate. The internal system of this party isn't entirely like we'd want it to be. One shouldn't get so easily shaken if problems occur. In a party expanding so rapidly, some issues will occur. If the party core is alright one shouldn't leave."

"Every election acts like the manthan. It separates the good from bad," says party senior Dilip Pandey. "We're process-centric, not person-centric. People with vested interests won't blend in with our politics. Imagine the party as a bus with a destination. It won't go off-track to accommodate you."

Not everyone is convinced this "manthan" is only expected. In an email to the AAP leadership, a member says: "As we plunge into LS elections, it's necessary to keep in perspective what makes us different. We're defined by the moral high ground we want to occupy. We're committed to responsible, open, and honest governance within a democratic framework. The race for an LS ticket has been consuming the middle-tier leadership responsible for building the party's organizational structure and translating its vision into concrete programmes."

There's, of course, griping about tickets. In Delhi, opinion was divided over Ashutosh, and Rajmohan Gandhi. In Chandigarh, Savita Bhatti quit after she was "unable to work with party volunteers". A source said: "She couldn't handle the pressure of campaigning. And yes, the local team didn't make the task any easier." To build a national party that reflects the aspirations of such a diverse country, there are no shortcuts. AAP's been forced to take shortcuts because of the polls. What cost will it have to pay for this?