Delhi Assembly polls: Nyayabhoomi auto faction turns its back on AAP

NEW DELHI: The same group that boosted Aam Aadmi Party’s image by sporting the party’s posters on its autorickshaws earlier this year has now turned against it. From Monday evening, a faction of autos affiliated to NGO Nyayabhoomi will be seen with red posters, claiming how AAP has let down auto drivers not only by ignoring their problems in its manifesto but also by withdrawing the candidature of auto driver Bhag Singh from Kalkaji seat.

Rakesh Agarwal, member of the NGO and also an AAP member, who organised the protest, had earlier accused Kejriwal of using auto drivers and then discarding them once the party had gained a foothold in the city. “These posters will be affixed on 3,000 autorickshaws by Tuesday evening,” he said.

Agarwal, who had written a letter to Kejriwal accusing him of running a one-man show, added: “We plan to affix up to 20,000 posters in the next few days on as many autos highlighting the broken promises and misuse of Anna Hazare’s name by the party . Our intent is to expose Kejriwal’s leadership deficit and persuade the party to set its house in order before embarking on an electoral battle ,” said Agarwal.

The red poster, starkly different from the black and white AAP posters, says “Kejriwal gave a ticket to auto driver Bhag Singh initially from Kalkaji, but later withdrew it. Why?” Just below the bold letters proclaiming that, the main message question the party’s silence on auto-related issues. It also advises auto drivers to avoid becoming a tool in the hands of political parties and exhorts them not to allow any political party to paste their posters on their autos.

Interestingly , the auto driver that the NGO has sought to fight on behalf of is still a dedicated AAP member. Singh’s candidature was cancelled in October for reasons unknown. While the party had claimed that Singh had withdrawn his nomination, he told TOI that the party had decided to recall his name and nominate someone else in his stead.

“I don’t know why the party did that and it was not my place to question them. However , it is a good party and I am still a volunteer with them. I do not know why Nyayabhoomi is starting this campaign now. I was not asked and I don’t support it. If they had to campaign, they should have done it earlier when my name was withdrawn . How will the campaign help now,” he said.