AAP is trying to gain stronghold
in Navi Mumbai
By Dinesh Kamath
NAVI MUMBAI: The performance of Aam Aadmi Party
(AAP) in the Delhi assembly poll has impressed many people of Navi Mumbai. They
feel that this achievement of AAP can have its impact on Navi Mumbai too which
is considered as one of the urban areas of Maharashtra. The city has many fans
of Arvind Kejriwal and they are hoping that AAP will manage to make in Navi
Mumbai too the kind of inroad they made in Delhi. They feel that AAP has
developed a strong hold in urban areas where they are likely to win most of the
seats in the next polls.
Although it was
Anna Hazare who started the fight against corruption, Arvind Kejriwal is given
the credit of taking the fight to a decisive end.
AAP used an
altogether different strategy to win the hearts of people all over India. They
made use of the social media to reach elite and middle class voters who were
totally against the rampant corruption, scams and failure of the ruling party
to curb rising inflation and high cost of essential commodities, including
cooking gas.
The intensive
campaigning against corruption by AAP has pleased the common man to a great
extent. Before AAP came into picture, the common man had lost hope and was
under the impression that nothing can be done about corruption that was
prevalent all over in India. But the advent of AAP has made the common man
certain that driving out corruption totally from the soil of India is not an
impossible task at all.
Even in Navi
Mumbai, AAP activists raked up issues of alleged irregularities or corruption
at certain places. For example they came to the aid of parents who had
differences with the school authorities who were charging high fees to the
students. Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which has a strong
presence in the satellite city, is not taking AAP lightly anymore. NCP in Navi
Mumbai are keeping a watch on AAP’s activities in the city and is prepared to
take any step to see to it that they don’t lose control over Navi Mumbai which is
headed and controlled by state excise minister Ganesh Naik and his family
members who comprise MP Sanjeev Naik, MLA Sandeep Naik and Mayor of Navi Mumbai
Sagar Naik.
Shiv Sena-Bharatiya
Janata Party leaders are hoping that the direct clash between AAP and NCP will
enable them to make inroads in Navi Mumbai. They were finding it tough to take
over the city from NCP and hence they are quite happy about the fact that AAP’s
enormous impact on local politics has made Sena-BJP’s chances during the
elections brighter than before
Sena had always
been trying to take on Naik clan and NCP in the city. But now it could be
triangular affair with AAP, Sena and NCP in the fray to gain stronghold in the
city. The Congress party in Navi Mumbai cannot be taken lightly too since it is
keeping a close watch on this new development and trying to capitalize on it.
Maharashtra Navnirman Party too cannot be underestimated.
It is true that
Naik family has a huge following in Navi Mumbai but AAP has managed to win the
trust of elites, intellectuals and common people of the city and this
development can prove to be a threat to Naik family. The fact that Navi Mumbai
today is not what it was in the past owing to the migration of many educated
people to this place gives an advantage to AAP which is just banking on the
support of such types of people. If any party can change the political equation
that exists in Navi Mumbai today, it is none other than AAP.
As far as Navi
Mumbai is concerned, AAP wants to go step by step. It is concentrating on
forming a strong cadre base in Navi Mumbai. It has already started taking up
issues and problems of common people in the city. AAP leaders are aware of the
fact that just becoming well known at national level is not enough and that
they will need to pay attention to state and local issues too. They are likely
to prepare themselves for both general and state assembly elections which are
to take place this year.
There is no
doubt about the fact that AAP has managed to give a fright to other well known
national parties like NCP, Congress and BJP. These parties fear that AAP might
perform in other urban areas just like it did in Delhi. Hence these parties are
unwilling to take any chances. They had paid a price when it took AAP too lightly
during the assembly poll in Delhi. They will certainly not want to repeat that
mistake again.
AAP is not
sitting quiet too. In Navi Mumbai, AAP had been quite active even before its
victory in Delhi. After its achievement in Delhi it is not leaving any stone
unturned in this satellite city too to garner as much votes as possible in the
forthcoming elections. It has even begun to invite applications from the
candidates interested in contesting election. It is already on the look out for
good candidates and financial support.
Naik supporters in
Navi Mumbai were taken by surprise twice. The first time was when Narendra Modi
took a plunge into the national political arena and he became a craze with many
voters. The second time was when AAP outclassed a mighty party like the
Congress in Delhi and thus won the hearts of common people all over the
country. They fear that Sena-BJP or AAP might turn the tables on them in Navi
Mumbai.
AAP, in fact,
has already started its battle against the local NCP. This was evident when
just recently it accused NCP leader Ravindra Ithape from Nerul of indulging in
power theft. AAP alleged that Ithape was using streetlights to procure power
supply for his daughter’s marriage function. AAP is also in possession of video
footage of the power theft. This new party has threatened to take the case to
logical end in typical AAP style if action was not taken against the NCP
leader.
This is just one
of the many issues AAP in Navi Mumbai has taken up. It is clear that supporters
of AAP in Navi Mumbai are very much buoyed by the success of the recent
elections. The astounding show of AAP in Delhi has emboldened them to register their
presence in Navi Mumbai too. They have already started working out the election
strategies. They are adopting methods like personally interacting with all the
Navi Mumbai voters by doing door-to-door campaigns. Also, their strong
anti-corruption stand is being vociferously welcomed by the people in the city.
There is a huge number of online registrations taking place to join AAP. Some
of the local issues that AAP aims to talk about in their coming rallies are
corruption and squandering of public money by Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation
(NMMC), bad roads, unaffordable housing due to grossly overpriced realty market
and general inflation. AAP is conducting a scientific people survey in Navi
Mumbai to know what are the other difficulties faced by them. The fact that Navi
Mumbai is inherently cosmopolitan by nature and almost literate is an advantage
for AAP. Just recently, it also organized a bike rally in the city as part of
their awareness drive. AAP workers are determined to show the true strength of
the common man in Navi Mumbai too.
Thus it is clear
that the local AAP workers are sure about where they are heading towards and
are moving confidently in that direction. This attitude of AAP is giving
sleepless nights to local NCP, Congress, MNS and Sena-BJP leaders. One will
have to wait and see as to which party will win the battle in Navi Mumbai
ultimately.
