AAP's attempt to gain a foothold throughout the country with the 2014 Loksabha elections as a platform, with the best case scenario of also winning quite a few seats and be a king maker if not the king itself appears to sow the seeds of its undoing (I mean the cacophony and the quarrels and bickering within party in many places. I see it in close quarters in Coimbatore and am certain it's happening similarly in many other places. The leadership's position is unenviable, they will be hearing many negative things from either side, when their time should be spent on building with energy and addressing the malaise in the system (not in setting right the self-created malaise within the party))
This post goes on to explore the situation as evidenced now and proposes some alternatives.
Let's face it.. Today AAP is seen by the multitude of those who seek to be active volunteers as a vehicle to catapult them into some significance, whether directly through power or by getting close to those will be in that seat. It is extremely difficult to separate the grain from the chaff. Any wrong attempt will first alienate the grain and the chaff (which literally is skin, and in this case a bit thick too) will linger on waiting for the dust to settle.
There is one acid test/opportunity though.
Imagine AAP is not contesting Lok Sabha polls except where it has already good organisational setup, volunteers experienced in mohalla sabhas, the swaraj principles etc. (Which is essentially Delhi and perhaps Maharashtra, Haryana and UP).
We will most likely see the bulk of the enthusiastic crowd vapourise in all other places. Then AAP leadership is left with the task of grain/chaff separation in only the contesting states which itself should be a very arduous task. We shouldn't forget that the prime function now of AAP leadership is governing Delhi - people have elected them for that, and if they relegate it to second priority and move on to other things (whether the other things are self-enriching or party building across the country) it is unlikely that the Delhi populace will be kind to that oversight. There will be a no-confidence vote within six months, without a doubt.
In these other states the AAP can do the work which it did in Delhi over the last year, getting members, educating about swaraj, raising awareness to the citizens about the funds that are allocated to their areas, and what projects are supposed to be implemented (we can educate about using RTI as a tool), explain and educate the instruments available for grievance redressal today, and lead from the front in local issues etc.
In other words, boring, laborious, hard civil service over the next few years. Target the local body/municipal elections first on the plank of development and get elected there and establish/demonstrate swaraj.
In the process the real doers, those who really care for the aam aadmi, those who believe in swaraj, those who have a service motive deep in them, these will be identified. The natural leaders of the respective places.
And build a better party for a better country on this foundation.. That will benefit Aam aadmi really.
Now the question arises, so what do we do as a political party now in the 2014 elections? Allow the two corrupt Alliances to fight among themselves and let the country suffer in the hands of members from these?
Imagine the following..
Like the concept of constituency wise manifesto, AAP announces that we will declare constituency wide support based on the candidate and their constituency manifesto. Candidate from a winnable party, an independent with impeccable credentials and great manifesto but known just to his street doesn't qualify now (he is AAP candidate for a future date - he has to prove himself first through lot of service before that).
AAP should announce why they are supporting a certain candidate transparently - based on his track record, and what promises have been extracted for the constituency (a simple mandatory one for support to anybody can be the MP development fund should be placed before people for referendum and spending should be based on people preferences). AAP can be people's voice, sit across, negotiate, extract promises and get him/her to incorporate in their constituency manifesto.
This statement (that this is what AAP will do), released in time, will force parties to select cleaner candidates, and force the candidates to be little more loyal to the people rather than parties, as their ticket was owing to the aam aadmi also not just High command's mercy.
Then let AAP follow the MP's tenure, get as much benefit for constituency as possible in the tenure, be his conscience keeper, and keep people updated about the pitfalls as they happen.
Surely the MP will be closer to the people compared to all the MPs/MLAs we have seen in the past, and if not badly exposed.
This is a thought seed, and I look forward to the comments.
This post goes on to explore the situation as evidenced now and proposes some alternatives.
Let's face it.. Today AAP is seen by the multitude of those who seek to be active volunteers as a vehicle to catapult them into some significance, whether directly through power or by getting close to those will be in that seat. It is extremely difficult to separate the grain from the chaff. Any wrong attempt will first alienate the grain and the chaff (which literally is skin, and in this case a bit thick too) will linger on waiting for the dust to settle.
There is one acid test/opportunity though.
Imagine AAP is not contesting Lok Sabha polls except where it has already good organisational setup, volunteers experienced in mohalla sabhas, the swaraj principles etc. (Which is essentially Delhi and perhaps Maharashtra, Haryana and UP).
We will most likely see the bulk of the enthusiastic crowd vapourise in all other places. Then AAP leadership is left with the task of grain/chaff separation in only the contesting states which itself should be a very arduous task. We shouldn't forget that the prime function now of AAP leadership is governing Delhi - people have elected them for that, and if they relegate it to second priority and move on to other things (whether the other things are self-enriching or party building across the country) it is unlikely that the Delhi populace will be kind to that oversight. There will be a no-confidence vote within six months, without a doubt.
In these other states the AAP can do the work which it did in Delhi over the last year, getting members, educating about swaraj, raising awareness to the citizens about the funds that are allocated to their areas, and what projects are supposed to be implemented (we can educate about using RTI as a tool), explain and educate the instruments available for grievance redressal today, and lead from the front in local issues etc.
In other words, boring, laborious, hard civil service over the next few years. Target the local body/municipal elections first on the plank of development and get elected there and establish/demonstrate swaraj.
In the process the real doers, those who really care for the aam aadmi, those who believe in swaraj, those who have a service motive deep in them, these will be identified. The natural leaders of the respective places.
And build a better party for a better country on this foundation.. That will benefit Aam aadmi really.
Now the question arises, so what do we do as a political party now in the 2014 elections? Allow the two corrupt Alliances to fight among themselves and let the country suffer in the hands of members from these?
Imagine the following..
Like the concept of constituency wise manifesto, AAP announces that we will declare constituency wide support based on the candidate and their constituency manifesto. Candidate from a winnable party, an independent with impeccable credentials and great manifesto but known just to his street doesn't qualify now (he is AAP candidate for a future date - he has to prove himself first through lot of service before that).
AAP should announce why they are supporting a certain candidate transparently - based on his track record, and what promises have been extracted for the constituency (a simple mandatory one for support to anybody can be the MP development fund should be placed before people for referendum and spending should be based on people preferences). AAP can be people's voice, sit across, negotiate, extract promises and get him/her to incorporate in their constituency manifesto.
This statement (that this is what AAP will do), released in time, will force parties to select cleaner candidates, and force the candidates to be little more loyal to the people rather than parties, as their ticket was owing to the aam aadmi also not just High command's mercy.
Then let AAP follow the MP's tenure, get as much benefit for constituency as possible in the tenure, be his conscience keeper, and keep people updated about the pitfalls as they happen.
Surely the MP will be closer to the people compared to all the MPs/MLAs we have seen in the past, and if not badly exposed.
This is a thought seed, and I look forward to the comments.
