AAM AADAMI PARTY (AAP): URBAN MIDDLE CLASS ASSERTION
Daya Varma and Vinod Mubayi
Dr. Manmohan Singh did not patent the term “Aam Admi (common man)’. So this attractive phrase got usurped by the burgeoning middle class of India and NRIs (nonresident Indians). The choice of a broom as its symbol and a cap as insignia makes AAP an impressive new entrant on the political scene of India.
The AAP has been only a few months old but already seems to be in the third place after Congress and BJP. At least so it appears in Delhi where elections are due next month. Never before since the birth of Telgu Desam at the initiative of Rama Rao, has a political party in India made as much headway as the AAP within months of its founding. However, the Telgu Desam was confined to Andhra Pradesh. AAP, on the other hand, is emerging as a national party or at the very least national urban party.
The strength of AAM seems to come from its claim and image to rout out corruption, which, no doubt, is widespread in India. With the blessings of Anna Hazare, AAP has projected itself as the party which can solve the problem of corruption. Since NRIs firmly hold the view that it is corruption which is holding India back, they are flocking in support of AAP. According to a report in the Times of India (Oct 16, 2013), one-half of AAP’s online funding is from abroad. NRIs are adopting constituencies to ensure AAP victory.
The first test of AAP is the Delhi elections due next month. If AAP does come third after Congress and BJP in Delhi, with respectable number of seats, it would be an important factor in the 2014 Parliamentary elections.
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