Navi Mumbai's AAP unit not to contest NMMC polls

NAVI MUMBAI: The Aam Aadmi Party will not be contesting the forthcoming civic elections, following party chief Arvind Kejriwal’s latest diktat.
However, Navi Mumbai-based AAP members said that this order was in the positive direction, as it shows that they have to do a lot more ground work before being ready for elections.
“The recent internal differences in AAP have now been resolved and it was decided not to contest any other polls till further notice.Kejriwal feels that it is not the right time to contest the elections in other parts of the country,'' said Ravi Srivastava, senior AAP leader for Navi Mumbai and Raigad. Ravi Srivastava. He added that they won the Delhi state elections only because the members had worked hard for several months and were fully prepared for the polls.
He also said that the Navi Mumbai unit was gung-ho about contesting from all the 111 wards. “However, in hindsight, we feel that it is better to work for various social causes so that we can earn the goodwill of the people and further strengthen our ties. We will continue to take on the relevant social issues in Navi Mumbai,” said Srivastava.
Activist Siddh Vidya, who is the AAP’s legal advisor in Navi Mumbai also said that the situation is not so ideal in the satellite city. “We do not want to put up any unknown faces, as a known candidate is what is required,” she said.
She added that AAP's Anti-Corruption Helpline will be displayed prominently at various places in Navi Mumbai to encourage citizens to call them with specific cases of corrupt practices in government offices.
Srivastava also felt that cosmopolitan nature of Navi Mumbai is in sync with the AAP philosophy of not showing bias for any religion or caste.