A new Indian political party rooted in an anti-corruption movement that swept the country in 2011 faced its first electoral test Wednesday as voters in New Delhi elected a state assembly.
File photo: India's skyline (AFP/Deshakalyan Chowdhury)
NEW DELHI: A new Indian political party rooted in an
anti-corruption movement that swept the country in 2011 faced its first
electoral test Wednesday as voters in New Delhi elected a state
assembly.
The Aam Aadmi ("Common Man") Party, led by former tax inspector Arvind Kejriwal, is contesting its first election, hoping a strong showing could give it momentum ahead of national polls next year.
New Delhi, whose 16 million inhabitants elect their own assembly, has been run by the Congress party since 1998 but it is seen as struggling with voter fatigue, inflation, and anger over crime against women and corruption.
Kejriwal cast his vote at a polling station in central Delhi early on Wednesday accompanied by about 100 supporters wearing white Gandhi caps which, along with a broom, has become the party's trademark.
"This election will test the substance of a new force, the Aam Aadmi party, which despite lacking a seasoned organisation has expertly created a buzz about its presence," The Indian Express said in an editorial Wednesday.
The Delhi election and four other state polls over the last month, are also crucial for the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its newly chosen hardline leader Narendra Modi.
Modi, a prime ministerial candidate for next year's general elections, has campaigned hard and will hope to see the BJP make gains when results are announced for all five state elections on Sunday.
Kejriwal, 44, is hoping his promise of clean politics, young candidates and pursuit of black marketeers who he blames for soaring food prices will resonate with voters.
He formed the Aam Aadmi Party less than a year ago after a split from his one-time partner Anna Hazare, an elderly activist with whom he launched a nationwide protest movement in 2011 demanding a new anti-corruption law.
Support for his party fluctuates wildly according to recent polls, from an impressive six to eight seats in the 70-member assembly to an extraordinary 30 or more.
In the general elections next year, the left-leaning Congress is predicted to struggle to win a third term in power, with Modi and the BJP making headway but without enough support to win a majority.
The Aam Aadmi ("Common Man") Party, led by former tax inspector Arvind Kejriwal, is contesting its first election, hoping a strong showing could give it momentum ahead of national polls next year.
New Delhi, whose 16 million inhabitants elect their own assembly, has been run by the Congress party since 1998 but it is seen as struggling with voter fatigue, inflation, and anger over crime against women and corruption.
Kejriwal cast his vote at a polling station in central Delhi early on Wednesday accompanied by about 100 supporters wearing white Gandhi caps which, along with a broom, has become the party's trademark.
"This election will test the substance of a new force, the Aam Aadmi party, which despite lacking a seasoned organisation has expertly created a buzz about its presence," The Indian Express said in an editorial Wednesday.
The Delhi election and four other state polls over the last month, are also crucial for the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its newly chosen hardline leader Narendra Modi.
Modi, a prime ministerial candidate for next year's general elections, has campaigned hard and will hope to see the BJP make gains when results are announced for all five state elections on Sunday.
Kejriwal, 44, is hoping his promise of clean politics, young candidates and pursuit of black marketeers who he blames for soaring food prices will resonate with voters.
He formed the Aam Aadmi Party less than a year ago after a split from his one-time partner Anna Hazare, an elderly activist with whom he launched a nationwide protest movement in 2011 demanding a new anti-corruption law.
Support for his party fluctuates wildly according to recent polls, from an impressive six to eight seats in the 70-member assembly to an extraordinary 30 or more.
In the general elections next year, the left-leaning Congress is predicted to struggle to win a third term in power, with Modi and the BJP making headway but without enough support to win a majority.
- AFP/xq
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