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AAP raises ₹2.8mn donations, sets eyes on Bengaluru city corp polls
According to people aware of the developments, there were at least 140 people in attendance at a lunch called “AAP-Rising”, and many others who were unable to make it in person donated towards the fund-raiser lunch at Bengaluru’s Chancery Pavilion in upscale Lavelle Road.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday raised around ₹2,800,000 in funds to bankroll the party’s ambitions to contest the Bengaluru city corporation elections, likely to be held later this year.
According to people aware of the developments, there were at least 140 people in attendance at a lunch called “AAP-Rising”, and many others who were unable to make it in person donated towards the fund-raiser lunch at Bengaluru’s Chancery Pavilion in upscale Lavelle Road.
“We can see the change since March 10 after the Punjab elections. Something has flipped in people’s minds here in Bengaluru also. It is wonderful to see. I think they got the confidence that we can win handsomely. I think they were looking for an alternative,” Prakash Nedungadi, the Vice President of AAP’s outreach programme told HT on Sunday.
To be sure, the party held a fundraiser in December as well but only 25-30 people showed up.
“Post the Punjab Elections, where the voters overwhelmingly voted for change, we are seeing a huge number of people who want to bring Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP Delhi Model to Karnataka,” Prithvi Reddy, Convenor AAP Karnataka and National Executive Member, said in a statement on Sunday.
Buoyed by the success it witnessed in Punjab elections, the AAP has set its sights on capturing the urban vote in Bengaluru, a city that has gained international notoriety for its poor quality of infrastructure, garbage management, toxic lakes, encroachments and pot-hole laden roads.
The AAP session was used for the donors and potential candidates to brainstorm ideas to resolve teething issues in Bengaluru.
A poster with “Ek Mauka Kejriwal Ko” was seen in the background as the party is yet to get any mass-based political leader into its fold yet in Karnataka.
“People in Bengaluru are fed up with the corruption, apathy and inefficiency of the BJP Govt and BBMP. Corruption at every level, starting with the political leaders, has prevented this city from being truly a modern city that cares for every citizen. This is what the Aam Aadmi Party will do when we win in BBMP and other elections in Karnataka” Mohan Dasari, Bengaluru City President of AAP, said.
Though AAP didn’t reveal the names of the donors, Kannada actor Sanjana Galrani and strongman Manoj Chopra were part of the lunch held on Sunday, people aware of the developments said.
The upcoming polls for the 243 wards of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) are likely to be held in May this year. The AAP has taken an active part to highlight issues like the crumbling infrastructure in the city.
In the 2018 assembly elections, the AAP had contested around 28 seats but managed just 0.06% of the total votes and 0.55% of the votes from the seats it contested.
This is the first time the party will look to contest the civic polls as it aims to grow from the grassroots, people aware of the developments said.
On March 13, Reddy had said that many big names in Karnataka would be joining the party in four to six weeks, and an announcement for the same would be made soon.
“There were doubts about the AAP’s New Delhi model working outside of the capital city. These doubts have been cleared after the results of Punjab. A similar change will certainly come in Karnataka as well,” Reddy had said, HT reported.
