AAP to woo traders ahead of civic polls

New Delhi: With an eye on the civic polls, the Aam Aadmi Party’s trade wing on Saturday launched a month-long drive to more than double its membership. In the past month, the AAP outfit has organised several public meetings in industrial areas and markets of Delhi to protest the Centre’s demonetisation scheme.

AAP trade wing convenor Brijesh Goel claimed that the party has been able to channel the “public anger” against the demonetisation of large currency notes, with senior party functionaries, including chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia, addressing dozens of meetings in industrial areas and markets of Delhi.

“We are looking to register 10,000 members by January 10. As part of the drive, trade wing volunteers will go to over 100 markets of Delhi,” Mr Goel said. He added that the outfit has over 8,000 till date.

The party’s outfit has been one of the biggest money spinners for it in the Delhi Assembly and Lok Sabha polls. By hosting fund-raising dinners with the AAP’s top brass, the trade wing was able to generate donations to the tune of Rs 50-60 lakh at least on two occasions ahead of the last year’s Assembly elections. Mr Goel said that as part of the party’s campaign against demonetisation, the trade wing has organised public meetings with Mr Kejriwal at Azadpur Mandi, Gandhi Nagar, Laxmi Nagar and Bawana. “We went to many industrial areas and markets in the city to campaign against the BJP and the demonetisation scheme,” he said.