Arvind Kejriwal makes rare Delhi appearance, launches AAP’s student outfit ASAP

For Kejriwal and former Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, this was the third public appearance in Delhi in as many months. Since losing power in Delhi, the AAP has been focusing on Punjab, the only state where it remains in power, and most of the party’s top leadership has been camping there.

Kejriwal said the root of most of today’s problems was mainstream politics, and ASAP’s goal was to restore the dignity of politics and inspire the youth towards reformation.

“That same old model is what we call mainstream politics, and it is the root of all of India’s problems. Every issue in our lives is touched by politics. Whether electricity reaches your home, whether it’s affordable or not, whether government jobs are available or not, everything is political. That’s why the youth must join politics, engage with it, and take responsibility for it,” the AAP leader said, blaming the BJP and the Congress for perpetuating these old political paradigms.

While ASAP is still being given shape, Kejriwal said that apart from contesting elections, it would set up cultural and discussion groups in colleges across the country to engage students on the subject of mainstream versus alternative politics. “A new generation of student leaders will be developed who work for reforms,” the AAP chief added.

The AAP’s previous student and youth wing was the Chhatra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti (CYSS), which was set up in 2015. It contested two elections each in Delhi University and Panjab University, but became inactive in Delhi after failing to find much success. Its only success was winning the president’s post in the Panjab University election in 2022. Last year, the outfit came second.

“We were recently called for two meetings in which we were told that the student wing would be relaunched. The goal is to ensure 5 lakh student members across India in one year. It has also been decided that going forward, we will contest each and every campus election that takes place in universities across the country,” said a leader who was associated with the CYSS.

Sisodia, who was present at the launch, described the initiative as a “golden opportunity” for students to engage in new thinking. “The name includes ‘alternate politics,’ which means we want the youth to look at politics with a fresh vision, just as AAP has been doing,” he said.

Sisodia emphasised that ASAP would not be limited to electoral politics. “We will fight elections, but also go where no elections are taking place. We have to represent all 80 million students across higher education institutions in the country,” he said, adding that the outfit should aim to become a national face for education reform and students’ rights.