3 min readNew DelhiMay 9, 2019 07:11 PM IST
First published on: May 9, 2019 at 02:52 PM IST
Anjaan Aadmi Party volunteers campaigning for New Delhi candidate Upendra Mishra (Special arrangement)
In the high-voltage contest among top three parties — BJP, Congress and AAP — in Delhi, a little-known political outfit has put up a candidate for the New Delhi Lok Sabha constituency. Claiming to be a platform for the ‘anjaan (unknown), the unrepresented and the suppressed’, the Anjaan Aadmi Party has fielded 31-year-old Upendra Mishra from this high-profile constituency, where BJP’s Meenakshi Lekhi, AAP’s Brijesh Goyal and Congress’ Ajay Maken are locked in a fierce fight.
“We are fighting for the less fortunate, including transgenders, the common man, the autowallahs, etc. That is how we want to make a difference,” said Mishra.
Formed in 2015, the Anjaan Aadmi Party credits its inception to the ’49-day government’ of the Aam Aadmi Party in 2013. “Arvind Kejriwal is our motivation, in that we entered politics because of him and our main fight is against him,” party founder Ashutosh tells indianexpress.com.
The party that has only a handful of members relies on limited funding but believes strongly in door-to-door campaigning.
Both Upendra and Ashutosh began their political journey in 2011 after Anna Hazare’s anti-corruption movement, which led to the formation of AAP and Arvind Kejriwal’s rise to power. Both were part of AAP’s door-to-door campaign teams during the Delhi Assembly elections in 2013. But Mishra and Ashutosh say they got disillusioned with the failures of the AAP government.
Upendra Mishra, Anjaan Aadmi Party’s New Delhi candidate
“My hopes were pinned on Kejriwal that sooner or later he will work on his promises. But now I have taken the responsibility upon myself to work for those very dreams,” says Mishra, who left his job with a telecommunications company to pursue his dream in politics.
When asked about their promises to voters, Mishra said he will talk about failures of the Aam Aadmi Party. “Corruption, unemployment, health sector, education, AAP hasn’t succeeded in anything,” he said.
Mishra, however, said his party will focus on the next Delhi Assembly elections. “The main focus will be on the Vidhan Sabha elections when we will release the manifesto,” he said.
About the name of the party which sounds similar to Aam Aadmi Party, Ashutosh said, “Party is there in every name, the only common word here is ‘Aadmi’. Besides, unlike AAP, we don’t call our party by the acronym.”
But the disillusionment with his former inspiration is all too evident. Expressing his disappointment with Delhi’s ruling party and its work in Delhi, Upendra recalls, “The condition is so bad under the present regime that when I was campaigning, I couldn’t even go to a toilet because there was none. Think about it!
Anjaan Aadmi Party volunteers campaigning for New Delhi candidate Upendra Mishra (Special arrangement)
Upendra Mishra, Anjaan Aadmi Party’s New Delhi candidate
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