AAP launches nationwide survey to find out if it is people's choice

Projecting itself as the lone alternative to the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Aam Aadmi Party on Thursday launched a nationwide survey seeking people's opinion on the two parties.

Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters in New Delhi, AAP leader Atishi said the survey is being conducted as "the country has only two options left today".

This comes amid the ongoing war of words between AAP and the BJP which began after the latter felicitated eight Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha activists following their release on bail in a case related to the alleged attack at Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence on March 30.

The slugfest between the two parties intensified after violent clashes broke between two communities during a Hanuman Jayanti procession in northwest Delhi's Jahangirpuri area last week.

Announcing the launch of the survey, Atishi said the opinion of people from across the country will be collected through Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS) calls, missed calls and social media.

In Delhi, the party will also put up posters about its survey at various locations, the Kalkaji MLA said.

"Violence engineered by the Bharatiya Janata Party or call it the Bharatiya Goonda Party has spread all over the country," Atishi said.

In view of this, she said, the party has launched a survey, seeking people's opinion about the BJP and the AAP as "the country is left with only two options today", she said.

The first option is the BJP, which is "engaged in engineering violence and riots and indulging in hooliganism". The second is the AAP, which is "a party which opens schools, hospitals, provides free electricity, free water as well as facilitates bus rides for women, pilgrimage for the elderly."

As part of the survey, Atishi said, people will be asked only two questions and they can answer with a yes or no.

"The first question to people will be whether they believe that the BJP has become a party of goons and loafers, and that it is only engaged in orchestrating violence and riots," she said.

"And the second question will be about the AAP, which is a party of decent, educated, staunch patriots and honest people," she added.

Asked if the BJP's strong showing in the Assembly polls in four states was not an indication of people's opinion about it, Atishi said there has been a clear rise in incidents of hooliganism after the election results.

"The common man is fed with this hooliganism," she said.

Riding high on its stupendous victory in the Punjab assembly polls, AAP is going all out with its national expansion plan.

While the Arvind Kejriwal-led party is gearing up to contest on all seats in the Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh assembly polls due later this year, it has reorganised its units in other states and launched a massive membership drive.