Poll-battered AAP goes back to the people

Following the debacle in the municipal elections, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday started the process of reconnecting with voters as several MLAs held local sabhas (meetings) in their areas.

The move to reconnect with the people had worked for the AAP after their poor performance in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

The party’s national convener, Arvind Kejriwal, had addressed several

This direct dialogue with the people, which was very unlike any politician in the past, had sparked a new hope of alternative governance among the public.

The party then went on to sweep the Assembly polls in 2015, winning 67 of 70 seats.

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Leading the way

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In the renewed effort to reconnect with the voters after a poor show in the recent municipal polls, where it managed to win just 48 wards out of 270 wards, AAP’s MLA from Tilak Nagar Jarnail Singh addressed residents and discussed their problems in Keshopur Park on Friday.

“This was just a reminder to the people that I am here for them. They can get in touch with me whenever they face any problem relating to water, electricity, sewage or security,” said Mr. Singh.

The MLA said that it was decided during the sabha that similar meetings would be organised with him and the local councillor twice every month.

The results of the municipal elections on Wednesday came as a shock to many AAP legislators who said they were expecting a better outcome.

“What has happened has happened. We accept the people’s mandate and want to move forward and continue to work for the people. The focus now is to understand why the people of Delhi were angry with us and to resolve their problems,” Mr. Singh said.

‘Good idea’

Residents agreed that the meetings would be a good platform to discuss their problems with their leaders.

“They have decided to include the MLA and the councillor in the meeting. This shows that they have the good of the people in mind. This connect by the party had gone missing after a few months of them coming to power two years back,” said Manveen Kaur Bedi, secretary of the Residents’ Relfare Association Block-B, Tilak Nagar.

‘Chance to improve’

Legislators in other areas are also reaching out to residents in their areas. The Delhi government’s Water and Tourism Minister, Kapil Mishra, who is also the MLA from east Delhi’s Karawal Nagar, has started visiting each house in his constituency to ascertain why the public chose the BJP over the AAP in three of the five wards under his constituency.

“If you know where you are going wrong then there is a chance for you to improve yourself. The AAP was formed from a movement that has come from the people and the people of Delhi are our biggest strength,” said Mr. Mishra.

The Minister said he plans to visit each house and ask people about their problem and how they want him to address the issues. Meetings will also be conducted with RWAs.

After the results of the municipal polls, Mr. Kejriwal had called for a meeting on Thursday where he asked the legislators and the newly elected councillors to be honest to the party and serve the people.