PART 1: Want a ticket for MCD elections? Pay 2 Crore and get ticket from Aam Aadmi Party

– by Naina Mishra

March 5, 2017: AAP's Mahila Wing feels exploited during Delhi municipal elections.

The buzz is that pay Rupees 2 Crore and collect the ticket.

It seems that degeneration of a value-based political party is on full pace. Now, the tickets even for MCD elections are on full scale. As this audio message in this video shows: "Arre madam, aap se na ho payega. 2 Crore is the asking price."

WATCH THE VIDEO:

While the Delhi Municipal elections are coming round the corner, the atmosphere has begun to heat up with the discontentment of women in Mahila Wing of Aam Aadmi Party. AAP rooted itself as a volunteer based party but as the time fled; the quintessence of the party seems to have withered away. The so called PRO women party has failed to meet the self-proclaimed women empowerment agenda. Prior to the nominations of MCD election, the AAP's Delhi convener Dilip Pandey announced that they will give tickets to grassroots volunteers only and forbid the dummy volunteers. He further declared 50 percent women reservation and of the 49 seats allotted to the female candidates, three will be from the unreserved category while the rest will be reserved for women. However, the promises claimed by AAP were only as good as an empty rhetoric and is thus fueling as the bone of contention among the women members of Mahila Wing.

The NewsGram reporter has spoken to several volunteers who had left no stone unturned to stand with AAP despite the adverse circumstances. These women are courageous and independent, all together they struggle hard to bring change to the nation. But how demeaning is the Aam Aadmi Party's approach towards Mahila Wing workers has left the entire race of women at contemplation yet again.

What happened?

Grassroots volunteers have received the tickets by lowest of margins whereas the dummy candidates have marked their way through winning the tickets without even trying. These people have either joined AAP three months prior to the election or are somebody's mother or wives. The entire picture of the sham is clear to the public now and the dignity of AAP has become questionable.

"I am in touch with the Aam Aadmi Party since 2011, at the time of Anna Hazare. My work is well recognized by Kejriwal Ji as well. I am a hard worker in this party and have sacrificed everything at the cost of the betterment of AAP. It hurts to see my family dissipated. Despite the abundant hard work I have not been given a post in Mahila Wing. I even begged in front of these people to at least grant me a post, but none of my woes are heard" said Archana -an AAP volunteer from Matiala Vidhan sabha.

She further added "Amrita Vashista, another co-worker is handicapped but has still worked hard yet did not receive any ticket. She truly deserved it."

"Before the nominations, a person cajoled me for bribery. Everything is pre-planned here, the candidate was not even declared yet and Mamta Soni wife of MLA Girish soni went with a candidate in ward 101 and declared her as a candidate for Maadipur. It is not only about me, it is about all the women who fought fearlessly over the span of time. The harsh truth is that we women have been used as props to outshine the protest, rallies, and banners. It's ironical that on one hand AAP rants BJP for some reasons and overlook these reasons when it comes to them. How efficiently has the corruption been mitigated? For that the AAP probably may have to check its MLAs first of all", said Abha Mittal of Maadipur Vidhan Sabha,AAP.

An anonymous source told Newsgram, "The party has done wrong, we have worked till 12 pm for the party and we also traveled across the country. It's heartbreaking that Mahila Wing did not receive the ticket. Jitendrana was not a volunteer, in spite of which his wife won the ticket."

Do we really know what women empowerment is?

Women empowerment is not just a vocal expression; it is more about giving women the power they deserve. There is more than the symbolic representation of women in texts or illustrations that we see. Women represent the face of the country, it is for this reason the subject cannot be ignored by any of the citizens because all these people that came forward for a cause to join politics and to bring change in the country were one amongst us. AAP has not only hurt the sentiments of the women working day and night for the party but has betrayed the nation as well.

Go to this link to know more– Women Wing Feels Cheated by Aam Aadmi Party on Ticket Distribution (part 2)

– reporting by Naina Mishra of Newsgram, Twitter @Nainamishr94