Behind AAP’s push for victory, backroom boys to bike rallies

A group of backroom men and women worked on the AAP’s poll pitch.

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AAP volunteers keep vigil outside a strongroom, where EVMs have been kept, on Sunday. (Source: Express Photo by Ravi Kanojia)

While party leaders and volunteers took a break on Sunday, the AAP’s Patel Nagar office is expected to be the centre of action on February 10.

Following predictions of an AAP majority, senior party leaders have gone on record to extend gratitude to their volunteer base, while party chief Arvind Kejriwal also took to social media to thank his supporters and fellow AAP members.

The months leading up to the polls have seen AAP and BJP tangled in a contest — through posters at bus stops, autorickshaws and on social media. While the BJP brought in Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with other Union ministers to woo voters, the AAP banked on a slew of public outreach events.

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“At least two public meetings were held by Arvind in almost all Assembly constituencies. Apart from Arvind, I addressed jan sabhas in most constituencies, so did Sanjay Singh, Ashutosh, Kumar Vishwas and Yogendra Yadav, among others,” AAP senior leader Manish Sisodia said.

While Kejriwal, Sisodia, Vishwas, Singh, Ashutosh and Yadav formed the face of the party, a group of AAP members worked out a strategy to take on the BJP in the capital.

From holding at least two public meetings in each Assembly constituency to launching a poster and social media campaign aimed at eclipsing the BJP publicity blitzkrieg, a group of backroom men and women worked on the AAP’s poll pitch.

A team comprising former investigative journalist Ashish Khetan, Rhodes scholar Atishi Marlena, former Congress leader Ashish Talwar, software engineer Pankaj Gupta and chartered accountant Raghav Chaddha built the party’s strategy for the elections.

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“These people decided to decentralise the entire campaign, from massive rallies to a series of public meetings in each constituency. This was in addition to the door-to-door campaign which was being carried out by our volunteers,” an AAP leader said.

If AAP leaders were making political pitches at public meetings, the party decided to bring in “star campaigners” to draw voters’ attention.

“Not everyone wants to attend a political rally or meeting. To tap the urban voter base, especially youth and women, star campaigners such as Gul Panag, Vishal Dadlani, Raghu Ram and Bhagwant Mann were included in our election campaign. From visiting marketplaces to holding bike rallies, these star campaigners took election campaigning beyond the old-fashioned rallies and public meetings,” the leader added.

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