AAP eyes like-minded forces for LS poll pact

Friday, 27/12/2013

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20131227/punjab.htm#3

Chandigarh : The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has begun the exercise to step out of the boundaries of New Delhi - where it is all set to form the government on December 28 - for a wider political reach in the country, including in Punjab, in view of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

The AAP has given a call to all “like-minded” social, political groups and activists to join the party to launch a nationwide movement to “cleanse the political system” in the country. The party yesterday held a meeting with representatives of such groups at New Delhi, in which party strategist Yogendra Yadav and other supporters such as Kuldip Nayar were present. Besides teachers from various universities, social activists from the state also attended the meeting.

Kuldip Nayar, an eminent journalist and social activist, said he would persuade activists Medha Patkar and Aruna Roy to join hands with AAP. Talking to The Tribune over the phone, Nayar said, “A serious effort has been made to bring about an element of morality in the Indian politics by AAP. Its evidence is already here. If AAP had not been there, other parties would have used all available means to form the Government in New Delhi.”

He said, “The challenge before us is to remove poverty by bringing about a definite change in the existing political culture. It’s because of AAP that the Union government had to bring about an effective Lokpal,” he said.

Those who attended the meeting from the state said AAP had given three options to social activists and groups. First is a merger with AAP. Second is the social group concerned should maintain its identity but work in tandem with AAP and the third option is to extend help to the AAP movement in any form. They said Yadav’s stress at the meeting was on the merger of various forces engaged in political and social change in the country. They said AAP was, however, yet to make its ideological and political line public.

Sumel Singh Sidhu, a student activist of Jawaharlal Nehru University, who belongs to Bathinda district and is associated with AAP in Delhi, said it was a big challenge to defeat the well-entrenched political parties. “There is a need for a big fight in this regard,” he said, adding that at his behest, AAP made teaching of Punjabi in Delhi an election issue and included it in its manifesto.

Sidhu said senior leaders of AAP were expected to visit Punjab soon.