Poll buzz teaks steam due to covid 19, but action moves online

The BMC polls may be a year away, but the rush seems to have already begun.  Not only the corporators of the ruling Shiv Sena, but even the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) teams - there is not a single stone left to reach out to citizens who are new to the urban voting contest, especially those from advanced locality management groups.  For example, the Aam Aadmi Party recently unveiled a roadmap for the 2022 BMC elections at ALMs across Mumbai.  The AAP's tagline, which planned to contest all the seats, was' Citizens' Activism to Clean up Politics'.

 

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Joint Secretary Ruben Mascarenhas said that the party was a party that started with civic activism and went into civic politics.  The tradition of the party is such, that it was necessary to contact all citizens.  Of course, we are contesting from 227 seats in the BMC elections and a large number of citizen activists have officially joined the Aam Aadmi Party. 

 

Webbner was just the beginning,”he said.  Raj kumar Sharma, a resident of Chamber, from the Advanced Locality Management and Net working Action Committee (Alma), said he had tried to log in to the AamAadmi website.  “... I think it's good to hear from everyone.  If we want to register to vote, we need to know exactly what each candidate and party has for their region or city,”he said.  In Goregaon, the first corporator Deepak Thakur spread a flyer among the citizens of his area, sharing his mobile number with the tagline 'Power in your pocket'.  During Covid times, webinars or messaging services are used.

 

In the case of Thakur, he has asked citizens to use WhatsApp to register complaints.  “This is only for my ward residents.  My mother Vidya Thakur, who is now an MLA, is a four-time corporator and we are here to solve the problems of the citizens, so why not use the now widely used WhatsApp?  He says. Amy Ghole, the corporator of Dadar's Parsi colony from the Shiv Sena, meanwhile formed the ‘Team Corporator’, which received a small number of residents from all parts of the ward he represented. 

 

“This is a non-political initiative, and for me these residents are like the eyes and ears of the area, and if they have any problems with it, they can take it forward with the municipal authorities.  I have formed WhatsApp groups with the authorities, in whom I share concerns for a speedy resolution,”Ghol said.