I was part of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) since its inception till the end of 2015. I was fortunate enough to get some responsible positions in the party during my association with the party. I like to start with saying that at the time of formation, Aam Aadmi Party was more of an ideology than a political party. That was the USP which attracted thousands around the country towards it. It was an ideology of clean politics with a mission of cleaning the murky political scenario prevalent in the country. In fact, the party presented a unique candidate selection process in front of the people of this country. It was a never before seen process. In my opinion, the ideology combined with some unique processes created a sense of hope among the common people. This was reflected in the electoral debut in 2013, when the party won 28 seats when no one was expecting such a performance. This was followed by an unprecedented 67 out of 70 seats in 2015. People of Delhi reposed their faith in a party which promised to cleanse the political arena and work for the people. The next five years were a game changer. The changes brought by the party and Delhi Govt in the field of Education and Heath Care were simply mind blowing. Free water upto 20000 litres per month, free electricity upto 200 units per month were schemes which people of Delhi welcomed with both hands. But such massive victory also brought in its own challenges. Many political opportunists started eyeing Aam Aadmi Party. That was visible not only in India, but also in other parts of the country. Unfortunately, in a zeal to expand the party at a very fast pace, the top leadership welcomed such opportunists into the fold. Turncoats from other parties were welcomed into the fold. Many with not so clean image in the society started becoming the face of the party. The second big challenge was that the party and its leaders became betes noires of those at the helm of the affairs at the Center.
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