MARGAO
The banner has since disappeared from the garden, but the AAP’s Salcete leadership has been literally on the job since then, addressing concerns among party volunteers and sympathizers, especially among women, against the backdrop of the media reports on the alleged Delhi rape case involving Kumar and accusations that party tickets in Punjab are given to women allegedly in return for sexual favours.
What’s significant to note is that AAP’s campaign in women-dominated Salcete taluka is being almost led by women folk, and the party leadership seemed to have lost no time in putting the issues in the right perspective, including the action taken by the party leadership in the national capital.
In fact, AAP women volunteers drafted for the job of ascertaining the views and opinions of people of Salcete on the contentious issues of casinos have been adequately briefed by the local party leadership to answer queries that may arise on the Delhi and Punjab episodes during their visit to the taluka countryside.
Says AAP state Convenor Rajshree Nagarsekar, who hails from Salcete: “We have briefed our volunteers about the Delhi episode and the swift action initiated against Kumar. Secondly, having convinced the volunteers, we have briefed them how to go about explaining to the people during their door-to-door visits if questioned on the Delhi episode or the accusations that sexual favours are being sought in return for party tickets in Punjab.”
She did not think that the Delhi or Punjab episodes will have any impact on the party in Goa, exuding confidence that party’s quick action in Delhi will keep the party in good stead in Goa, notwithstanding the machinations of the political opponents to paint the party in bad light.
“Doubts and questions have been raised in many quarters post-Delhi episode, but AAP has managed to retain confidence of volunteers and sympathizers. The swift action initiated against the Delhi minister only proved that we mean business,”
she said. Asked whether the party would now tread a cautious path in the light of the accusation of rape against the Delhi Minister, Rajshree said, “We are only cautious on three issues when new members are admitted into the party “ that the members should not have a criminal background and should not be communal and corrupt. AAP is a growing party, where people join and leave, with some even returning back to the party fold after some time.”
Member of AAP state-level campaign panel and in-charge of the party in Cuncolim, Velim, Navelim and Benaulim, Serafino Cota echoed similar sentiments. “I do not think there will be any fall out of the Delhi episode on AAP’s campaign in Salcete in particular or Goa in general. After the sad episode came to light, we have had interactions with the women leading the AAP campaign from the front in Salcete. We have also answered queries not just from women enrolled in our party, but their families as well. Today, I can say that though our rival political parties may try to make capital out of the issue, we see no impact on our women members and the volunteers,” Serafino asserted.
AAP’s campaign for the eight assembly constituencies of Cuncolim, Velim, Benaulim, Navelim, Curtorim, Margao, Fatorda and Nuvem is being led by white-topi clad women volunteers over the last few months, moving door-to-door with party’s plans and programs. So much so, during the visit of Arvind Kejrival to the state last month, AAP had an interaction exclusively with women at Margao, with the AAP national coordinator launching the ‘women as leaders for change’, campaign.
TASK AHEAD TO KEEP WOMEN POWER INTACT
AAP’s Salcete leadership has been literally on the job of addressing concerns arising out of the Delhi episode involving its minister Sandeep Kumar in a sex CD scandal
Significant to note is AAP’s campaign is women-dominated in Salcete led by women folk. The party leadership seemed to have lost no time in putting the issues in the right perspective, including the action taken by the party leadership in the national capital, to assuage the women to stay put
AAP women volunteers drafted for the job of ascertaining the views of people of Salcete on contentious issues of casinos have been adequately briefed by the local party leadership to answer queries that may arise on the Delhi and Punjab episodes during their visit to the taluka countryside
