As the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party government takes strides with increasing supporters and celebrity members, a certain group of disillusioned party volunteers and members have split up to form another party.
Gareeb Aadmi Party (GAP) is the name of the splinter outfit, which, the founding members claim signifies the real aam aadmi (common man) unlike in the AAP. Most of the people who are now part of the GAP have been together since the days of India Against Corruption (IAC) in 2011.
“Ahead of the Delhi election, we had opposed AAP’s official candidate in Uttam Nagar but none of the party leaders paid any heed to us. Neither Kejriwal nor any other top leader heard us out,” said Shyam Gupta, GAP founder. GAP has its office at Mohan Garden.
After the Uttam Nagar episode, Gupta and scores of others had parted ways with AAP prior to Delhi election and several of them, including Gupta, fought as independents. But when the group came to know that AAP will be forming the government, GAP was formed.
Mrityunjay Jaiswal, an astrologer by professional, who is now a member of GAP’s political affairs committee, said, “I had been associated with IAC, but was never a member of AAP. The Kejriwal-led party has deviated from its issues. AAP used to talk of issue-based politics but now there is a lot of difference in what they say, what they preach and what they actually do.”
{{/usCountry}}Mrityunjay Jaiswal, an astrologer by professional, who is now a member of GAP’s political affairs committee, said, “I had been associated with IAC, but was never a member of AAP. The Kejriwal-led party has deviated from its issues. AAP used to talk of issue-based politics but now there is a lot of difference in what they say, what they preach and what they actually do.”
{{/usCountry}}The party has a website, exactly with same design as that of AAP complete with features such as SMS code for online membership; a link for online donation; and with links for its social networking sites such as twitter, FB and party’s vision and manifesto.
This latest party in town claims it has 2,000-odd members in Delhi itself and already spreading wings across the country.