Letters: Broadening the base

This refers to Devangshu Datta's column "Scaling up the AAP" (Viewpoint, December 14). The author has based his views on (i) demographies, that AAP appeals to the middle- and low-income groups; (ii) migration to cities making 600 million people urbanised; and (iii) the young population resenting the system, and also being better educated than prior generations; and (iv) it can easily get space by intruding the Congress and the BJP territory.

The next challenge for the AAP is to contest another election for the Delhi Assembly, and at the same time enter the Lok Sabha elections. Another challenge is scaling up to other states and gradually make inroads into difficult terrains. Other states also witnessed small-scale rallies but that could not be presumed to have raised mass awareness. That task remains incomplete. Also, local issues have not been the focus in such campaigns. We all know that local issues play a key role when one plans political initiatives at the state level. The AAP should broaden its base and leadership, and involve right-thinking people. The party should be confident about defeating divisive forces since this confidence is still the monopoly of the Congress. The petty controversies that the AAP is finding itself in these days will not sustain once it consolidates itself. The AAP is an idea, a thought, an ideology, and their's is a philosophy that most people in India need.

Irshad Khan New Delhi

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