In a boost to Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party in Maharashtra, social activist Medha Patkar on Monday extended her "complete" support to the fledging party.
She termed ouster of Yadav and Bhushan from the party's national executive as 'not justifiable, questionable and condemnable'
Stating that the Aam Aadmi Party has reduced itself to a "tamasha", veteran social activist Medha Patkar on Saturday resigned from the party as its internal turbulence reached a flashpoint with the ouster of founding members Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav from a key panel of the fledgling outfit.
Social activist and Aam Aadmi Party candidate for upcoming Lok Sabha elections from the Mumbai northeast seat, Medha Patkar said her decision to enter the electoral fray was very tough.
AAP candidates from Mumbai, Medha Patkar and Meera Sanyal, are poised to play a crucial and complementary role. While Patkar gives voice to the suffering of people at the grassroots, Sanyal is articulating the key principles that could build a more just and equitable society or economy, says Rajni Bakshi.
For someone who is such an indefatigable litigant, what is stopping Mr Saxena from using the law to depose Mr Kejriwal? Maybe we will get the answer after May 25, notes Aditi Phadnis.
A day ahead of a meeting called by dissidents Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav, the Aam Aadmi Party on Monday spelled out its warning to party members that its top-decision making panels would determine what action would be taken against those found accepting the rebel camp's invitation.
Decriminalisation of gay sex by repealing section 377 of IPC, bringing more women officers in police force and "zero tolerance" towards crimes against women are some of the promises made by Aam Aadmi Party which on Thursday unveiled its Mumbai-centric "sankalp patra".
Delhi faces a severe financial crunch and the deficit is largely due to numerous welfare schemes without adequate revenue flowing in. The success of welfare schemes and electoral promises will need careful financial planning and out of the box thinking to whip up additional revenue, notes Ramesh Menon.
Is politics gaining at the expense of civil society?
Aam Aadmi Party on Sunday released its first list of 20 candidates for Lok Sabha elections, pitting Kumar Vishwas from Amethi, Rahul Gandhi's seat, and former banker Meera Sanyal and social activist Medha Patkar from Mumbai.
Expelled members Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan will lead a meet which aims to 'explore future course for alternative politics'
The Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP is trying to make inroads into BJP-ruled Gujarat where the assembly polls are due later this year.
Arvind Kejriwal has decided to skip his Aam Admi Party's scheduled rally in Vidarbaha on Thursday due to ill health.
Aam Aadmi Party's eminent women supporters are backing the 'Swaraj Samwad' with a focus on women participation in politics. They also haven't given up on dreams of a united AAP. Upasna Pandey reports
Dharamvir Gandhi, AAP's member of Parliament from Patiala has spoken out in favour of Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan.
These elections will be remembered for the AAP and Arvind Kejriwal, feels Neeta Kolhatkar.
BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi is predicted to win both seats -- Varanasi and Vadodara. Kejriwal is places at number 2 in Varanasi, says the ABP News-Nielsen exit poll. Senior BJP leader L K Advani is likely to win the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha for the sixth time.
Facing criticism over the chaos and vandalism that marked his local train and autorickshaw travel in Mumbai, Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday accused the media of blowing up the matter and dismissed the charge that it was a "symbolic stunt".
Prathamesh Murkute explains why he has volunteered his personal time and money to support a movement called the Aam Aadmi Party.
Aam Aadmi Party rebels Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan on Tuesday stopped short of announcing the creation of a new political outfit even as they said they were starting a new "movement" while slamming the lack of scope for dialogue within the Arvind Kejriwal-led party.
As Maharashtra's main political players, the Congress-nationalist Congress Party alliance and Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena combine, brace for the Lok Sabha and subsequent state assembly polls this year, they would have to contend with a new opponent, the Aam Aadmi Party, which has decided to take the electoral plunge in a big way.
Even a 6 percent vote-share would make AAP an important player on the national scene. The key lies in strategically concentrating AAP's vote, especially in the cities, so that it can break Narendra Modi's momentum, besides defeating an already weak Congress, says Praful Bidwai.
'You can never say never in politics.' 'We may still see the return of AAP, but hopefully not of the same abusive politics again,' says Shekhar Gupta.
'I don't think we will need to support or get support from the Congress. I hope there is no such political exigency. The Congress will be gone from the political scene. There is no lesser evil. The BJP and Congress are the two sides of the same evil coin,' anti-Koodankulam nuclear plant activist and new AAP member S P Udaykumar tells Rediff.com's A Ganesh Nadar.
Over 3,500 police personnel have deployed as the farmers began their march from the Ramlila Maidan to Parliament at 10.30 am.
This crisis requires political sophistication and governance skills. This BJP has neither, observes Shekhar Gupta.
AAP has been vociferous since its inception and has mainly raised issues pertaining to corruption. A political party must have crisp and specific standon all issues which concern the nation not just corruption or secularism; and AAP has failed to deliver on all these counts, says Aditya Shah and Aadit Kapadia.
Despite a strong anti-corruption mood, where election costs are seen as the driver for graft, politicians don't change their spots. Unsurprisingly, this trend of unleashing cash can be expected to continue in this Lok Sabha elections too, says Mahesh Vijapurkar.
Could the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP become the rallying point of new energies that are getting unleashed all over urban India, in quest for a different kind of politics, to such an extent that he can rein in Narendra Modi? It all depends on how it pans out its politics in the coming weeks, says Neerja Chowdhury.
Two Indian-Americans returned to India from the US to contest the elections from the AAP. They may have lost the elections but Deelip Mhaske and Dr Prabhat Ranjan Das have no regrets and speak of their experiences. George Joseph reports.
'If there is one message coming out of Delhi, it is that the country is ready for inclusive, bipartisan politics, not based on caste, community and religion, but based on issues of a modern India.'
'He never believes in loose talk.' 'If he is done with you, then you go your way, he goes his way.'
'Give time to the 2013 Act to work. I not only think that the 2013 law is workable, I believe that the 2013 law is a compromise, a balanced middle path and protects the interests of land owners and livelihood losers.'