The strategy of Swaraj Abhiyan floated by rebel Aam Aadmi Party leader Yogendra Yadav was to create alternative politics that would include setting up of kendras at village, mandal and district levels to function as facilitation centres and centres of conflict resolution, of planning and protests.
Call to the people for creation of new agenda, and meeting farmers across the country to learn from their problems, will be part of the latest experiment of alternative politics, psephologist-turned-politician Mr. Yadav said on his maiden visit to the city after the founding of the Abhiyan.
Through his whirlwind ‘Swaraj Samvad’ tour, he hopes to create a buzz around alternative politics, and politics that makes a difference. It is a twofold challenge, he feels. “You have to be politically viable. Just managing to continue to exist is a big achievement in the face of the big parties with money and muscle power. Secondly, in the process of surviving, you should not become like the other parties,” Mr. Yadav notes, on the sidelines of a daylong meeting here on Tuesday. Aam Aadmi Party was different from many other parties of the past, in that, it has crossed the viability threshold very soon. At the same time, it is rapidly sliding like any other party, he says.
“We are planning to organise Bharat Yatra, to gather new energy and ideas, after which we will sit down to assess where we stand and what our strengths are,” he said.
He is in no hurry to turn it into a political party though. What is needed is to demonstrate to oneself that an alternative can be created, he says.
Through his ‘Swaraj Samvad’ tour, he hopes to create a buzz around alternative politics, and politics that makes a difference
