The who’s who and what’s what of the newest kid on the India’s political firmament
It’s 72 hours since anti-corruption activist-turned-politician Arvind Kejriwal made one of the most awaited announcements this year, declaring the name of his political outfit at a packed media conference at the capital’s Constitution Club of India on November 24 afternoon.
While most established political parties looked the other way, as if wearing a halo and wearing a look nonchalant about their faces, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has nevertheless made a definite noise and is being noticed, though it’s still initial days to gauge whether it has made any impact. And it sure has left the political circles shaken, if not stirred, to borrow a catchphrase of Britain’s most famous secret service agent.
At the wrong end of the India Against Corruption movement for months now, the Congress meanwhile tried to play down the development. "There are 1453 political parties registered with the Election Commission. So if one more is added, this will only strengthen our democratic fabric….The more the merrier," senior Congress leader and information and broadcasting minister Manish Tewari told reporters in Chandigarh the day Kejriwal unveiled AAP.
The party has been under fire for over a year and half years for allegedly lording over corruption and irregularities under the UPA-I and II regimes, by first the broadbased Anna Hazare movement and later its offshoot led by Kejriwal.
As the country’s main political parties kept on doing what they are best at — last heard, Parliament was adjourned till Thursday (Nov 29) as the ruckus and demand for a debate and vote on FDI in multi-brand retail kept the logjam alive and stirring — we collate the defining developments in the first 72 hours of India’s newest political party
NOVEMBER 24, 2012
- Constitution of AAP proposed by Mayank Gandhi, seconded by Chandramohan.
- 3,000 (approx): The total number of founding members.
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NOVEMBER 25, 2012
- Arvind Kejriwal announces he will tour the country for the next one year to "expose" the Congress and BJP while trying to convince people why they should support AAP.
- Kejriwal says: “We have set a series of guidelines for the party members. I want only those of you who can work full-time to come to this party. No one should be found indulging in any activity of taking money for votes during elections.”
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NOVEMBER 26, 2012
- AAP officially launched at Parliamentary Street.
- Incidentally, the date, Nov 26, zeroed in on to coincide with the 63rd anniversary of the Constitution’s adoption on November 26, 1949.
- 23: The number of national executive members in AAP
- Former law minister Shanti Bhushan donates Rs 1 crore to AAP
- Rs 1.6 lakh collected from people gathered at Jantar Mantar to witness the ceremony
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NOVEMBER 27, 2012
- AAP holds its first national executive meet at lawyer Prashant Bhushan’s house
- Kejriwal announces party’s first internal lokpal headed by justice Bhagwati Prasad and Admiral Ramdass
- AAP decides that seats would be reserved for candidates from backward communities and women, if found under-represented
- Yogendra Yadav says AAP yet to formulise an economic policy
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WHO’S WHO OF AAP
- National convenor: Arvind Kejriwal
- National secretary: Pankaj Gupta
- Treasurer: Krishna Kant Sanju
- National executive members: Prashant Bhushan (lawyer), Manish Sisodia (former news producer), Gopal Rai (associated with student politics in UP), Sanjay Singh (president, Azad Samaj Sewa Samiti), Kumar Vishwas (poet), Naveen Jai Hind (activist), Dinesh Vaghela (social worker from JP movement), Yogendra Yadav (psephologist), Ajit Jha (Delhi University professor), Christina Samy (activist from Tamil Nadu), Anand Kumar (professor, JNU), Ilyas Azmi (former MP from UP), Shazia Ilmi (former journalist), Habung Payang (former Arunachal information commissioner), Yogesh Dahiya (farmers' leader from UP), MBN Pannikar (workers' leader from Odisha), Ashok Agrawal (lawyer), Mayank Gandhi (IAC activist and engineer), Rakesh Sinha (social worker) and Subhash Ware (of Socialist Foundation).