18 April,2014 07:47 AM IST | | Dheeraj Bengrut
Influenced by Arvind Kejriwal, 200 AAP volunteers were at polling stations yesterday to support their candidate Maruti Bhapkar; they believe that AAP will bring the much-needed change in the country
To ensure smooth sailing elections in Maval constituency yesterday, volunteers from Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and independent candidate Laxman Jagtap's party kept vigil at polling booths.
The cornerstone: AAP candidate Subash Ware flanked by party workers during one of his rallies. Pic/Mohan Patil
At most of the booths in Pimpri-Chinchwad, youth volunteers from AAP wearing white Gandhi caps were seen helping voters.
mid-day found out that these 200-odd youths from the city work in various IT firms and are originally from up north, and have been campaigning for their Maval constituency candidate Maruti Bhapkar since the last one month.
On a mission
Mohan Joshi, a 24-year-old AAP volunteer at Nrisingh High School polling booth at Sangvi told mid-day, "For the past one month we have been campaigning for Bhapkar via door to door visits and meeting people on the streets. Other than our volunteers, we hardly saw any other party volunteers doing the same. But today, all corporators and their volunteers are circling polling booths jut to show off." Some of the volunteers took off on weekends and even applied for leave to dedicate their time and energy to the cause.
Necessary change
Another AAP volunteer, Shushant Kare said, "We all are young and even our campaign strategy targeted the youth. We are here because we believe in Arvind Kejriwal and have seen the difference in Delhi after AAP came into power and brought the much-needed change. Hence we are also supporting our local AAP candidate in Maval."
Off to the north
These city youths plan to extend their leaves and head to Varanasi to support Kejriwal in the holy city. The AAP effect in Delhi has got them charged up to be actively involved in campaigning for AAP candidates, wherever they can.
