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What is Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)?
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was founded on November 26, 2012, by activist Arvind Kejriwal, advocate Prashant Bhushan, academic-turned-psephologist-turned-politician Yogendra Yadav, journalist-turned-politician Shazia Ilmi and retired JNU professor Anand Kumar.
The party was carved out of an anti-corruption social movement called India Against Corruption (IAC), which had been fighting for the introduction of the Jan Lokpal Bill (Citizen Ombudsman Bill) in Parliament.
When the movement did not succeed into the introduction of the bill, a group within IAC led by Arvind Kejriwal, a former Indian Revenue Service officer and winner of the Magsaysay Award (and the incumbent Chief Minister of Delhi), decided to form a political party.
The party offered to protect the common man's interest by fighting against corruption. This was captured in the party's election symbol - the broom - which was presented as an instrument for cleaning 'filth which has entered politics.'
The party made its electoral debut in Delhi Assembly elections 2013, where it emerged as the second-largest party, winning 28 of the 70 seats. AAP formed a minority government with the support of the Congress party, only to remain in power for forty-nine days. The Delhi government failed to pass Lokpal Bill because of non-cooperation by the BJP and the Congress MLAs. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal resigned and the party made a major comeback in the 2015 Assembly elections, where AAP won 67 of the 70 seats.
In the 2014 Lok Sabha Elections, AAP fielded 434 candidates. However, only four of its candidates won (all from Punjab). The electoral defeat was followed by Shazia Ilmi's resignation. In 2017, AAP contested Assembly elections in Goa, Punjab. While none of the candidates could scrap a victory in Goa, it won 20 seats in Punjab.
In the Lok Sabba elections 2019, Aam Aadmi Party is fielding six candidates from Chandni Chowk, North East Delhi, East Delhi, New Delhi, North West Delhi and South Delhi. After much deliberations, Congress and AAP decided to join hand against BJP on Delhi's seven Lok Sabha seats.
Ever since its inception, AAP has been a real symbol of a civil society movement transforming into a successful political group.
Election symbol
On August 1, 2013 the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP received 'broom' as its election symbol by the Election Commission of India (ECI).
"With the 'broom', which symbolises dignity of labour, the party hopes to clean the filth which has permeated our government and our legislature. The country needs a clean sweep of its corrupted mainstream political parties", the party said in a statement on the day of symbol allotment.
Arvind Kejriwal officially launched the AAP's broom election symbol on August 3, 2013.