Rise and fall of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) within a short span of time at national spectrum has thrown many back on the shores with low tide. As the decision to field more than ten candidates in Jharkhand for the lok Sabha —434 throughout the country—went horribly wrong the hopefuls have now started looking beyond the Arvind Kejriwal-led party and its activities.

As many of the candidates had social activism and vigilantism as their background before joining and contesting elections on AAP’s ticket the post-poll shocker has left them with little political activity.

“I will continue working on the issues the party has raised and taken up. As far as my political course of action is concerned only time will tell and I do not really know. At present I have some business outside Jharkhand and focusing to consolidate it in Jharkhand as well,” said Amanullah, AAP candidate from Ranchi who is a foreign educated manager with affluent career.

The party barring Raj Mahal, Singhbhum, lohardaga and Palamau constituencies had jumped into the fray straightway in Jharkhand with minimal ground work and cadre presence. It was banking upon personal reputation and activism of the candidates in their respective areas those were more or less confining to issues relating to tribal rights, safeguarding Jal-Jungle-Zameen and opposing activities of corporate houses and mining companies in different parts of the State.

“My activities now are not much relating to politics. Whatever I am doing is under my organisation ‘Azadi Bachao Aandolan’ which I was doing for long. Though I hope that the party would contest all the seats in the State in the forthcoming Assembly elections but lot of work in this regard is still to be done. As far as my association with the AAP is concerned for the days to come, I am not in a position to say anything at the moment,” said Mithilesh Dangi who fared on 11th spot and polled just 7140 votes in Hazaribagh forfeiting his deposit. 

Out of AAP’s 434 candidates in this lok Sabha elections massive 413 had to forfeit their deposits nationally. The number remained even embarrassing in Jharkhand where all the ten candidates into the fray lost their deposits. The party was polled much less than it got around 2 per cent nationally.

Most of the activists-cum-politicians are also disappointed over flip-flop attitude of the AAP leadership, lack of support they required during the elections and also choice of candidates. But the biggest setback has come with the indications suggesting that the party would focus entirely in Delhi in near future and ignore States like Jharkhand where it fared badly.

“Though taking U-turns has become part and parcel of the party but Arvind Kejriwal has reportedly said that AAP would not continue intense political activities in the states where organisational structure is not so strong. This has sent a sense of disappointment even further among party workers in Jharkhand,” said Sunil Mahto, a party activist.

Nevertheless there are few in the ranks who still believe that the party would bounce back and going with their own struggle for social justice which would ultimately feed AAP in future. “It is true that Delhi is not paying much attention to Jharkhand. But there is no activity by the party workers either. If the party cadres remain active it is sure that the leadership would listen to us,” said NREGA activist Gurjeet Singh who contested from Giridih and faired 8th with just 7071 votes.

Singh also aims to draw a line between social and political issues like Dayamani Barla, another noted name in the field of social movement. “I think if say 10,000 people voted for me it means that much of people are for the change in status quo. This will in the end benefit the party whenever it contests elections,” she said. Barla was polled 11880 votes but remained on 7th spot from Khunti.