Name: Ashay Kapse

Shades of AAP: Maharashtra

The crisis AAP faces in Maharashtra is monumental. In October 2015, the party’s all powerful Political Action Committee (PAC) dissolved its Maharashtra State Unit and all its bodies. The state unit had been in a limbo for a long time. Prominent faces like Medha Patkar and state convenor Mayank Gandhi had resigned from the party after senior leaders and ideologues of the party Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan were removed from the party. Maharashtra with its rich tradition of social movements was considered a fertile ground for a political party like AAP with roots in a social movement to succeed. Its prospects today in the state don’t look promising.

Speaking to people from AAP doesn’t give the sense that the party is in shambles in the state. Ankit Lal, AAP’s Social Media Head says that a team of observers is regularly visiting the state and they will submit a report to the national party and decisions will be taken based on the report. But the fact remains that for 4 months now the party does not have a state unit in Maharashtra. For a state that their former Maharashtra Media Secretary Ruben Mascarenhas called the third in support for the party, the situation is dire. The party has no organisation in Maharashtra.

The party won 11.5 lakh votes from an electorate of 80 crore, an abysmal vote share of 0.12 % in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra. This is still a good enough number for a new entrant in a state rife with identity politics. Abhay Mokashi, a senior ex-journalist from the state says, “11.5 lakh votes is definitely not bad, but can they sustain it? They created a euphoria. Oh we’re going to bring about change. But that euphoria has to sustain. In Delhi people gave them a chance. But Maharashtra is a different ballgame.”

The challenges for AAP in Maharashtra are multiple. Apart from a lack of a solid organisational structure, the party has struggled overcoming an image of being a North Indian party. Mascarenhas though contends this notion, “The parameter for whether a party is North Indian or regional or whatever is to look at its leaders. And today I can very proudly say that a majority of my leaders on a state level including myself are Maharashtrians. When you’re having a public meeting in Mumbai with a very broad sprinkling of people (it’s different), but other than Mumbai, every other place we have a discussion in Marathi. Even our State Executive Meetings’ proceedings are conducted in Marathi.”

The party also has a lack of credible leadership in the state. AAP in Delhi and nationally have a charismatic leader in Arvind Kejriwal. Similarly, in Punjab, the only state other than Delhi where they have been able to make an impact, Bhagwant Mann is their face. Having charismatic orators and dynamic leaders is imperative for a political party with national ambitions in today’s India. AAP is in dearth of such leaders in Maharashtra. They state party has no one who can let alone captivate but even command a crowd. When asked about this Mascarenhas says, “It takes time (for leaders to grow). Who knows, with time Ruben Mascarenhas could emerge as a leader.”

AAP has had some minor successes in the city of Mumbai though. An anti-corruption helpline they started for Mumbai was well received and their participation in the campaign to save Aarey Colony was considered successful. But these successes are few and far. The momentum built is quickly lost. Mokashi thinks the party will die a natural death. That although is a real possibility, could turn out to be false if the party wins the Punjab Assembly Elections in 2017. The party plans on contesting on all the seats in the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly Elections. A win in Punjab could give the party in Maharashtra some well needed momentum. Mascarenhas optimistically says, “I just think that, as a

Name: Ashay Kapse

party we are only 3 years old. We are just 3 years old. The point I’m making is political parties take some time, and give us some time. The baby has now not only crawled, walked, it is now sitting in the chair of Delhi, managing power. I appeal to everyone to give us some time and we will definitely deliver.” Perhaps time is all they need.