Buoyed by its thumping victory in the Delhi election, the Maharashtra unit of the Aam Aadmi Party is planning to go all out to win the hearts and minds of the State’s farmers.
It plans to launch a Swaraj Abhiyan to address issues ranging from farmer suicides to special economic zones (SEZs) to enhance its rural voter connect.
“Traditionally, our group of activists have been combating these issues and staging agitations against the Maan SEZ and the contentious Sinnar SEZ in Nasik much before the AAP was convened as a political party. The Delhi win will have a radical impact on Maharashtra’s urban and rural politics,” AAP leader Maruti Bhapkar told The Hindu .
The AAP will replicate the ‘Delhi Dialogue’ in Pune and Mumbai to gain a firm hold in the State, said AAP State coordinator Subhash Ware.
The party will establish a farm workers’ front to address issues such as wages, market and prices, among others.
It is also considering contesting the 2017 civic polls to secure a strong urban base.
Focus on Pune AAP functionaries perceive IT cities like Pune and Bangalore, with their strong middle class and problems of urbanisation, as important testing grounds for bringing about tangible civic transformation.
“Our target list includes Pune’s garbage problems, its unmanageable traffic, making the city’s rivers pollution-free. Already several of our workers, including many IT professionals, have begun their study rounds after which they will hold dialogues with the city’s corporators to suggest ways of change,” said Mr. Bhapkar.
“After all, the Delhi template has its roots in Maharashtra’s model villages of Anna Hazare and Popatrao Pawar,” he said, remarking that the win has galvanized the city’s party cadre.
The party will renew its agitation for the passage of the Nagar Raj Bill (Town Governance) in the country as it was a powerful piece of legislation empowering the citizen to transform his or her locality, Mr. Ware said, noting that such initiatives would simultaneously strengthen the party’s base in urban areas that had shrunk after its poor performance in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.
