19th JUNE 2015 AAM AADMI PARTY - HAJI SUNDER SHEKHAR
RELATED KEYWORDS: War-Veterans-Party|The-Consumer-Party-Of-India|Bharatiya-Minorities-Suraksha-Mahasangh
Meet Mumbai's other aam admi parties that want your vote
MUMBAI: He has a stately, old Ambassador and a small but prime office spot on J J Road. Inside the Bharatiya Minorities Suraksha Mahasangh's office, party chairman Sundar Shaekhar is on the phone, thrashing out names of candidates with his colleague. "I can give ticket but no cash this time. They have to manage," says Shaekhar. And then covers the mouthpiece to make a quick point: "I am running this party only to keep up the name of Haji Mastan."
Wearing white and several gold rings, one of which coils around an entire finger to end in a many-headed serpent, Shaekhar drips drama and revels in tales of his mentor, the smuggler-turned-politician Mastan, every time the conversation moves to the upcoming elections. What is the party's mandate? "Price rise," offers general secretary Munira Khan while Shaekhar recalls yet another Mastan story .
The city's political scene is as diverse as its citizenry and has a motley bunch of leaders running small political outfits. Out of the 100-odd unrecognised registered parties in Maharashtra, half are based out of Mumbai. The leaders include the deceased don's 'adopted' son, retired scientists, businessmen, war veterans and humanists who hope to make a difference with their brand of politics, if possible by this election. While some like Shaekhar say they will field 10-12 candidates in Maharashtra, others are exploring alliances.
Most of these politicians seek to gain some political muscle for personal reasons. Mastan started the party in 1989 after he fell out with Congress, which had jailed him during the Emergency. Shaekhar says Mastan wanted to promote the interests of Dalits and Muslims and not necessarily to shed the 'smuggler' tag.
For Akalpita Paranjape, it was corruption in public life that made her resign her scientist job at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre in 2007 and start Bharat Uday Mission. "I wanted to change the way we select candidates and get more people to participate," says Paranjape, whose outfit along with similar parties held a screening process for independent candidates in the last Mumbai municipal elections. The Lok Sabha plans are underway.
While retired commodore B B Mistry teamed with his colleagues to start a secular 'War Veterans Party' in 2007, activist Rajeshwar Deshmukh says he registered The Consumer Party of India, sometime in the 2000s on an impulse. "I was interviewed by the Election Commission twice. But I am not interested in politics," says Deshmukh.
Registering a party is just the beginning. Kumod Jha, who says he is a city-based builder, is not ready to reveal the plans he has for his fledgling party, Akhand Bharatheeya Aawaaz. "I am building a base in UP and Bihar. If I talk about it, the big parties will prevent me from connecting with people," says Jha, who doesn't like the idea of alliances. "They cause instability. I can't forget how the coalition government led by VP Singh in ended in less than a year," says Jha.
The disenchatment with mainstream parties started in the 1980s, soon after the Emergency, says Vibhuti Patel, professor and activist. Individuals and small groups entered politics to fight for causes neglected by the big parties. "Our democracy is vibrant enough to provide a platform to a variety of people to formulate a vision or to vent their frustrations. Now with the rise of social media, it has become cheaper for smaller parties to communicate with people," says Patel.
However, money remains a challenge to many. Mistry says his War Veterans Party won't contest from Mumbai this year because of the high cost involved in campaigning. Finding the right candidates is equally tough. Even if they are in place, the voters might not be swayed. "Now, bribes are not limited to slums. Parties that promise smooth internal roads and donations for Ganeshotsav to housing societies get votes," says Paranjape.
According to Vipul Mody of The Humanist Party Of India, which was launched in 1984, the key to remaining small and sustainable is to balance personal and political lives. Even if that might not work for full-time politicians, building a base can't be ignored. "We organise campaigns when there are no elections. Parties like AAP should spend time to build its grassroots support," he says.
Wearing white and several gold rings, one of which coils around an entire finger to end in a many-headed serpent, Shaekhar drips drama and revels in tales of his mentor, the smuggler-turned-politician Mastan, every time the conversation moves to the upcoming elections. What is the party's mandate? "Price rise," offers general secretary Munira Khan while Shaekhar recalls yet another Mastan story .
The city's political scene is as diverse as its citizenry and has a motley bunch of leaders running small political outfits. Out of the 100-odd unrecognised registered parties in Maharashtra, half are based out of Mumbai. The leaders include the deceased don's 'adopted' son, retired scientists, businessmen, war veterans and humanists who hope to make a difference with their brand of politics, if possible by this election. While some like Shaekhar say they will field 10-12 candidates in Maharashtra, others are exploring alliances.
For Akalpita Paranjape, it was corruption in public life that made her resign her scientist job at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre in 2007 and start Bharat Uday Mission. "I wanted to change the way we select candidates and get more people to participate," says Paranjape, whose outfit along with similar parties held a screening process for independent candidates in the last Mumbai municipal elections. The Lok Sabha plans are underway.
While retired commodore B B Mistry teamed with his colleagues to start a secular 'War Veterans Party' in 2007, activist Rajeshwar Deshmukh says he registered The Consumer Party of India, sometime in the 2000s on an impulse. "I was interviewed by the Election Commission twice. But I am not interested in politics," says Deshmukh.
Registering a party is just the beginning. Kumod Jha, who says he is a city-based builder, is not ready to reveal the plans he has for his fledgling party, Akhand Bharatheeya Aawaaz. "I am building a base in UP and Bihar. If I talk about it, the big parties will prevent me from connecting with people," says Jha, who doesn't like the idea of alliances. "They cause instability. I can't forget how the coalition government led by VP Singh in ended in less than a year," says Jha.
The disenchatment with mainstream parties started in the 1980s, soon after the Emergency, says Vibhuti Patel, professor and activist. Individuals and small groups entered politics to fight for causes neglected by the big parties. "Our democracy is vibrant enough to provide a platform to a variety of people to formulate a vision or to vent their frustrations. Now with the rise of social media, it has become cheaper for smaller parties to communicate with people," says Patel.
However, money remains a challenge to many. Mistry says his War Veterans Party won't contest from Mumbai this year because of the high cost involved in campaigning. Finding the right candidates is equally tough. Even if they are in place, the voters might not be swayed. "Now, bribes are not limited to slums. Parties that promise smooth internal roads and donations for Ganeshotsav to housing societies get votes," says Paranjape.
According to Vipul Mody of The Humanist Party Of India, which was launched in 1984, the key to remaining small and sustainable is to balance personal and political lives. Even if that might not work for full-time politicians, building a base can't be ignored. "We organise campaigns when there are no elections. Parties like AAP should spend time to build its grassroots support," he says.
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