After Delhi, AAP signals focus on Mumbai with Juhu rally

Signalling its intent to focus on India’s economic capital after capturing Delhi, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) held an impressive rally in Mumbai on Sunday evening from Santacruz to Juhu beach.

Signalling its intent to focus on India’s economic capital after capturing Delhi, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) held an impressive rally in Mumbai on Sunday evening from Santacruz to Juhu beach.

Fresh from the massive landslide of a mandate that it won in the recent Delhi polls, the AAP has now begun preparations to enter Mumbai’s electoral fray with the 2017 Mumbai corporation polls.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which governs Mumbai, has the largest budget — over `33,000 crore — for any civic body across India, a budget which is more than the total budget of a few of the smaller Indian states. For the past 17 years, the Shiv Sena has been controlling the corporation.

With its tested formula, however, in wooing the urban voter of Delhi, the AAP’s local unit feels that they can also strike a chord with the Mumbai voter.

According to Anjali Damania, it was more of victory celebration than a political event. “Our volunteers wanted to celebrate our Delhi victory and hence this rally,” said Damania. However she added, “This event will mark the turning point in Maharashtra politics and BMC polls are high on our agenda,” she added.