‘Win back volunteers, reach out to sanitation workers’

NEW DELHI: Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has directed newly-elected councillors from his party to win over disgruntled party volunteers unhappy with the party’s ticket distribution for the MCD polls.

Kejriwal directed the AAP councillors to address issues brought before them on a priority basis.

In an interaction with the new councillors, Kejriwal said that the party will get strengthened if elected representatives worked collectively with party volunteers and legislators.

“You need to ensure that all legitimate issues brought up by party volunteers are dealt with on a priority basis. It’s the volunteers who go to people and seek vote for you. If their work is not done, they lose face before area residents. Volunteers need to be taken care of. There are some who have gone away out of anger. If you are able to win them over, then we will grow. If not, they will go and join some other party,” Kejriwal is heard saying in a video, which was shared by the party on social media.

Waning support by its volunteers was described as one of the primary reasons for the party’s poor performance in the April 23 municipal elections. Several party volunteers did not hit the ground, after opposing the party’s ticket distribution. After analysing the MCD results on Wednesday, state water minister Kapil Mishra had said that there was a need to make renewed efforts to connect with the volunteers and expand its base.

Kejriwal, while promising a formal training for party councillors about the functioning of corporations, also advised them to take care of the sanitation workers, who have repeatedly gone on strike over the past two years over delay in salary payment.

While a section of the sanitation workers union backed the AAP government during the crisis, a majority of them, especially those in east Delhi, are said to have blamed the state government for the mess.

WANING SUPPORT BY ITS VOLUNTEERS WAS DESCRIBED AS ONE OF THE PRIMARY REASONS FOR THE PARTY’S POOR PERFORMANCE IN THE APRIL 23 MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS