AAP meet discusses party strategy for LS polls

Has received only 182 valid applications for candidature from various states

A National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) scientist, retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers, social workers, professors and others are among the applicants to contest the Lok Sabha elections on an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ticket. The party has received 182 "valid applications", said sources.

The AAP held a meeting of its political affairs committee on Tuesday, where it discussed several issues related to the general elections.

"The party is getting a great response from across the country and is considering contesting all the states in the elections," said a leader present at the meeting.

The party discussed its current strength in various states and how it would go about issues such as fund raising, increasing volunteer base, etc.

"Everyone is talking about AAP in every state. We are getting unprecedented support but the question is how to convert this into votes," said the leader. No final decision has been taken on the number of seats it will contest.

The leader said AAP was confident of getting good results in Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar apart from Delhi, Haryana and Maharashtra, where it planned to contest all Lok Sabha seats.

Asked about what response it was getting from states where cadre-based politics was dominant, the leader said, "We thought we didn’t have a base in Kerala but we have got tremendous response."

The leader, one of the members of the national executive committee, said a lot would depend on the administrative capacity as well.

AAP is looking for big-ticket donations so it can raise up to Rs 200 crore, which it believes would be necessary to fight elections. It had also launched a membership drive ‘Mai bhi aam aadmi’ and targets to get 10 million members from across the country.

The party had set an initial deadline of receiving applications for Lok Sabha tickets and, according to sources, it had got 182 valid applicants till Tuesday evening.

The party is likely come with the first list of final candidates by January 20.

Yogendra Yadav, one of the three-member National Campaign Coordination Committee which looks into the general elections, had said the party could field its candidates in 15-20 states.

He had also said the party might find it difficult to infiltrate in states with cadre-based politics. "It is tough for a new party to make presence in states such as West Bengal, Kerala and Tamil Nadu because of strong cadre-based politics by other parties."
NOT SO AAM
Some prominent people who have joined the AAP recently

• G R Gopinath, Air Deccan founder
• Mallika Sarabhai, danseuse and social activist
• Meera Sanyal, former CEO of Royal Bank of Scotland
• Sameer Nair, former CEO of NDTV and STAR TV
• V Balakrishnan, former board member of Infosys