The Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) signature campaign demanding fresh polls in the national Capital seems to be losing steam. Touted as the party’s comeback after its lok Sabha polls debacle, the campaign has been able to garner the support of only over 10 lakh people, that is less than 10 per cent of total voters nearly a month after it was launched.
launched on August 13, the fledgling party had planned its campaign to last for a fortnight covering all 70 Assembly constituencies in Delhi. But 23 days later, the response AAP has received may compel its leadership to rethink its strategies to keep the party’s pulse simmering in the city. So far, the party has just managed to get over 10 lakh signatures, which is why the campaign is still on, although with withering intensity. It is pertinent to note that the city has around 1.22 crore voters.
The party, however, was on the defensive and maintained that the campaign is instead gaining momentum. “The campaign is still on and so far over 10 lakh signatures have been submitted. A lot of holidays fell in between where people prefer to spend time with their families and even go out of town. Don’t sign us off. The number of days the campaign has been on is lesser than what it seems,” said Nagendar Sharma, spokesperson, AAP.
The campaign was outlined on the lines of AAP’s bijli-paani andolan. But, while the previous andolan amassed 10 lakh supporters in just a span of 15 days, the party’s current campaign has barely been able to match the same figure in nearly a month. The campaign was launched from the Patparganj Assembly constituency by AAP leaders Manish Sisodia, party’s Delhi convener Ashutosh and State unit secretary Dilip Pandey. In it, volunteers have been distributing signature forms along with a message from party chief Arvind Kejriwal explaining the reasons behind conducting elections in Delhi which has been without a Government ever since he quit as the Chief Minister in February this year. It was also the party’s attempt to reach out to people like it did during Delhi Assembly election - something which it could not do during the lok Sabha election. The party drew a blank in Delhi in the lok Sabha elections. Trying to win the support of various sections — autorickshaw and e-rickshaw drivers, workers with contractual jobs, police personnel, traders and homemakers — the AAP, in the pamphlet, addresses all these issues.