Kejriwal to tour each assembly seat, meet party volunteers to re-energise cadre at grass roots

Kejriwal on Sunday night announced the decision at the party’s state-level meet convened to launch the ‘mera booth, sabse majboot’ initiative.

In an effort to restructure and re-energise the party cadre at the grass roots, Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal will soon visit all 70 assembly segments and engage with workers.

Kejriwal on Sunday night announced the decision at the party’s state-level meet convened to launch the ‘mera booth, sabse majboot’ initiative. (Ravi Choudhary/HT PHOTO)

Kejriwal on Sunday night announced the decision at the party’s state-level meet convened to launch the ‘mera booth, sabse majboot’ initiative.

“All mandal adhyaksh (polling station in-charge) should appoint kshetriya adhyaksha (booth in-charge) over the next 10 days. Will visit and meet party workers in each assembly...I can cover 3-4 assembly seats in a day,” Kejriwal told addressing the gathering.

He spoke about a host of issues, including corruption allegations levelled against him, his cabinet colleagues and party funding.

The party that caught the imagination of people due to its ‘alternative’ brand of politics and electoral success in a short span of four years has witnessed a dip in its fortunes over the past few months, with its fallout raising questions even over its future and existence.

In a damage-control mode, after a fortnight-long exercise to review the loss in the municipal elections, the party has decided to go back to the grass roots and strengthen its volunteers -- once considered the backbone of AAP that swept the Delhi Assembly elections in 2015.

The party has decided to revamp the party at the booth level. Workers in charge of polling stations will appoint new booth in-charges, who will appoint one booth representative responsible for every 25 households.

“This movement and the party recently witnessed the strongest ever attack (by opponents). The only way we can take on them is through a strong organisation. It will happen if we strengthen our booth in-charges. They will now be called khsetriya adhyaksh,” Kejriwal said.

Besides regularly meeting them, the ministers and MLAs will give priority to public welfare work brought to their notice by the booth in-charge, Kejriwal said.

“He seeks votes from people on the ground, so people have expectations. When work is not done, it becomes embarrassing for the booth in-charge. So work recommended by them has to be delivered on priority,” Kejriwal said.All development work by the government will be led before the public by the booth in-charge, he said.

To strengthen the ‘bond’ in the ‘AAP family’, all party volunteers will gather at an informal meet organised by party legislators on the first Sunday of every month. The meeting will be addressed by Kejriwal through Google hangout.

“No official work will be discussed. It will be only for entertainment. All volunteers, with family, will gather for the function at 7 pm. All will carry their own food as the MLAs can’t afford. I will address and take questions at 8 pm,” Kejriwal said.