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Aam Aadmi Party
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP, lit. 'Common Man Party') is a political party in India. It was founded on 26 November 2012 by Arvind Kejriwal and his then-companions, following the 2011 Indian anti-corruption movement against then government of Indian National Congress. The AAP is currently the governing party in the Indian state of Punjab. On 10 April 2023, the AAP was officially granted the status of national party by the ECI. The party's election symbol is a broom. The party was formerly part of the coalition INDIA, but left it in 2025.
The party came into existence following a difference of opinion between Kejriwal and activist Anna Hazare regarding the incorporation of electoral politics into the popular 2011 Indian anti-corruption movement, which had been demanding a Jan Lokpal Bill since 2011. Hazare preferred the movement should remain politically unaligned, whereas Kejriwal felt the failure of the agitation route necessitated changes in the government's representation itself. On 3 December 2015, the Jan Lokpal Bill was passed by the AAP government with a majority in the Delhi legislative assembly.
Making its electoral debut in the 2013 Delhi Legislative Assembly election, the AAP emerged as the second-largest party and managed to form the government with support from Indian National Congress (INC) members of the assembly. Kejriwal became the Chief Minister of Delhi, but his government resigned 49 days after he could not pass the Jan Lokpal Bill in the assembly, because of the lack of support from the INC. After the President's rule in Delhi, in the following 2015 elections, the AAP won 67 of the 70 seats in the assembly and Kejriwal was again sworn in as the Chief Minister of Delhi. In the subsequent 2020 Delhi Legislative Assembly election, AAP was re-elected as the governing party after winning 62 seats out of 70. The party suffered a sharp decline in the 2025 Delhi Legislative Assembly election, winning only 22 seats. It ultimately lost power to the Bharatiya Janata Party, which obtained an absolute majority.Kejriwal and several other notable leaders lost their seats.
Outside Delhi, the AAP cemented its popularity when it emerged as the principal opposition party in the 2017 Punjab Legislative Assembly election after securing 20 seats. In the subsequent 2022 Punjab Legislative Assembly election, AAP was elected as the main governing party after winning 92 seats. Following this, its member Bhagwant Mann was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Punjab. In December 2022, the party emerged as the third front in the politics of Gujarat after 2022 Gujarat Legislative Assembly election. It secured 12.92% of the votes polled and five seats in the Assembly. Apart from Gujarat, AAP is also accorded the status of state party in Goa. In the 2024 Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly election, AAP opened its account in Jammu and Kashmir (union territory) by winning of Mehraj Malik of AAP from Doda Assembly constituency seat in Jammu region by a margin of 4538 votes, making him the first AAP MLA of Jammu and Kashmir (union territory).
In the years immediately preceding the 2011 anti-corruption protests under the erstwhile Second Manmohan Singh ministry led by UPA , there were examples of alleged corruption in the country; these included the Adarsh Housing Society Scam, the 2010 housing loan scam, the Radia tapes controversy, and the 2G spectrum case. Massive anti-corruption protests and strikes were initiated by Anna Hazare in 2011 as a response to exposure of these financial scams and corruption. The aim was to press the government to enact a strong and effective Lokpal (Federal Ombudsman) through a Jan Lokpal Bill. Hazare was supported by a clutch of activists and professionals which became popularly known as Team Anna. Team Anna also included a civil-servant turned activist Arvind Kejriwal. Hazare had wanted to keep the movement politically neutral but Kejriwal considered that direct involvement in politics was necessary because attempts to obtain progress regarding the Jan Lokpal Bill through talks with existing political parties had, in his opinion, achieved nothing. A survey conducted on a Facebook page that purported to be operated by India Against Corruption and other social networking services had indicated that there was wide support for politicisation. Hazare rejected the poll, saying "elections require huge funds, which will be tough for activists to organise without compromising on their values". He also said it would be difficult to ensure that candidates are not corrupted once elected. Hazare and Kejriwal agreed on 19 September 2012 that their differences regarding a role in politics were irreconcilable. Kejriwal had support from some anti-corruption movement activists, such as Prashant Bhushan and Shanti Bhushan, but was opposed by others such as Kiran Bedi and Santosh Hegde. On 2 October, Kejriwal announced that he was forming a political party and that he intended the formal launch to be on 26 November, coinciding with the anniversary of India's adoption of its Constitution in 1949.
The party's name reflects the phrase Aam Aadmi (transl. common man), whose interests Kejriwal proposed to represent. A party constitution was adopted on 24 November 2012, when a National Council comprising 320 people and a National Executive of 23 were also formed. Both the Council and the Executive were expected to have more members in due course, with the intention being that all districts and all classes of people would have a voice. Various committees were proposed to be formed to draft proposals for adoption by the party in a process that was expected to take several months. Although one aim was to limit nepotism, there were complaints at this initial meeting that the selection of people invited to attend was itself an example of such practices. The party was formally launched in Delhi on 26 November and in March 2013, it was registered as a political party by the Election Commission of India.
On 26 November 2012, the formal launch day of the AAP, former law minister Shanti Bhushan donated ₹10 million (US$120,000) to the party. Prashant Bhushan, his son, was a member of the party's National Executive Committee. The party raised ₹20 crore (US$2.4 million) by November 2013 and received ₹18 crore (US$2.1 million) in 2015 assembly polls.
On 18 May 2013, a group of Indian Americans from 20 different cities in the US held a convention in Chicago and extended support to the AAP. The convention was attended by two AAP leaders, Kumar Vishwas and Yogendra Yadav, and Kejriwal addressed it via video conferencing. Aruna Roy and Medha Patkar, who had differences with Kejriwal on certain issues, supported him after his 15-day fast against inflated electricity bills. On 22 March 2014, the Janata Dal (Secular) party of Delhi announced it would merge with the Aam Aadmi Party, citing Kejriwal's tenure as Chief Minister of Delhi. Later two of the founders of the party, Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav, left the Aam Aadmi Party in 2017 and formed Swaraj Abhiyan.
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Aam Aadmi Party
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP, lit. 'Common Man Party') is a political party in India. It was founded on 26 November 2012 by Arvind Kejriwal and his then-companions, following the 2011 Indian anti-corruption movement against then government of Indian National Congress. The AAP is currently the governing party in the Indian state of Punjab. On 10 April 2023, the AAP was officially granted the status of national party by the ECI. The party's election symbol is a broom. The party was formerly part of the coalition INDIA, but left it in 2025.
The party came into existence following a difference of opinion between Kejriwal and activist Anna Hazare regarding the incorporation of electoral politics into the popular 2011 Indian anti-corruption movement, which had been demanding a Jan Lokpal Bill since 2011. Hazare preferred the movement should remain politically unaligned, whereas Kejriwal felt the failure of the agitation route necessitated changes in the government's representation itself. On 3 December 2015, the Jan Lokpal Bill was passed by the AAP government with a majority in the Delhi legislative assembly.
Making its electoral debut in the 2013 Delhi Legislative Assembly election, the AAP emerged as the second-largest party and managed to form the government with support from Indian National Congress (INC) members of the assembly. Kejriwal became the Chief Minister of Delhi, but his government resigned 49 days after he could not pass the Jan Lokpal Bill in the assembly, because of the lack of support from the INC. After the President's rule in Delhi, in the following 2015 elections, the AAP won 67 of the 70 seats in the assembly and Kejriwal was again sworn in as the Chief Minister of Delhi. In the subsequent 2020 Delhi Legislative Assembly election, AAP was re-elected as the governing party after winning 62 seats out of 70. The party suffered a sharp decline in the 2025 Delhi Legislative Assembly election, winning only 22 seats. It ultimately lost power to the Bharatiya Janata Party, which obtained an absolute majority.Kejriwal and several other notable leaders lost their seats.
Outside Delhi, the AAP cemented its popularity when it emerged as the principal opposition party in the 2017 Punjab Legislative Assembly election after securing 20 seats. In the subsequent 2022 Punjab Legislative Assembly election, AAP was elected as the main governing party after winning 92 seats. Following this, its member Bhagwant Mann was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Punjab. In December 2022, the party emerged as the third front in the politics of Gujarat after 2022 Gujarat Legislative Assembly election. It secured 12.92% of the votes polled and five seats in the Assembly. Apart from Gujarat, AAP is also accorded the status of state party in Goa. In the 2024 Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly election, AAP opened its account in Jammu and Kashmir (union territory) by winning of Mehraj Malik of AAP from Doda Assembly constituency seat in Jammu region by a margin of 4538 votes, making him the first AAP MLA of Jammu and Kashmir (union territory).
In the years immediately preceding the 2011 anti-corruption protests under the erstwhile Second Manmohan Singh ministry led by UPA , there were examples of alleged corruption in the country; these included the Adarsh Housing Society Scam, the 2010 housing loan scam, the Radia tapes controversy, and the 2G spectrum case. Massive anti-corruption protests and strikes were initiated by Anna Hazare in 2011 as a response to exposure of these financial scams and corruption. The aim was to press the government to enact a strong and effective Lokpal (Federal Ombudsman) through a Jan Lokpal Bill. Hazare was supported by a clutch of activists and professionals which became popularly known as Team Anna. Team Anna also included a civil-servant turned activist Arvind Kejriwal. Hazare had wanted to keep the movement politically neutral but Kejriwal considered that direct involvement in politics was necessary because attempts to obtain progress regarding the Jan Lokpal Bill through talks with existing political parties had, in his opinion, achieved nothing. A survey conducted on a Facebook page that purported to be operated by India Against Corruption and other social networking services had indicated that there was wide support for politicisation. Hazare rejected the poll, saying "elections require huge funds, which will be tough for activists to organise without compromising on their values". He also said it would be difficult to ensure that candidates are not corrupted once elected. Hazare and Kejriwal agreed on 19 September 2012 that their differences regarding a role in politics were irreconcilable. Kejriwal had support from some anti-corruption movement activists, such as Prashant Bhushan and Shanti Bhushan, but was opposed by others such as Kiran Bedi and Santosh Hegde. On 2 October, Kejriwal announced that he was forming a political party and that he intended the formal launch to be on 26 November, coinciding with the anniversary of India's adoption of its Constitution in 1949.
The party's name reflects the phrase Aam Aadmi (transl. common man), whose interests Kejriwal proposed to represent. A party constitution was adopted on 24 November 2012, when a National Council comprising 320 people and a National Executive of 23 were also formed. Both the Council and the Executive were expected to have more members in due course, with the intention being that all districts and all classes of people would have a voice. Various committees were proposed to be formed to draft proposals for adoption by the party in a process that was expected to take several months. Although one aim was to limit nepotism, there were complaints at this initial meeting that the selection of people invited to attend was itself an example of such practices. The party was formally launched in Delhi on 26 November and in March 2013, it was registered as a political party by the Election Commission of India.
On 26 November 2012, the formal launch day of the AAP, former law minister Shanti Bhushan donated ₹10 million (US$120,000) to the party. Prashant Bhushan, his son, was a member of the party's National Executive Committee. The party raised ₹20 crore (US$2.4 million) by November 2013 and received ₹18 crore (US$2.1 million) in 2015 assembly polls.
On 18 May 2013, a group of Indian Americans from 20 different cities in the US held a convention in Chicago and extended support to the AAP. The convention was attended by two AAP leaders, Kumar Vishwas and Yogendra Yadav, and Kejriwal addressed it via video conferencing. Aruna Roy and Medha Patkar, who had differences with Kejriwal on certain issues, supported him after his 15-day fast against inflated electricity bills. On 22 March 2014, the Janata Dal (Secular) party of Delhi announced it would merge with the Aam Aadmi Party, citing Kejriwal's tenure as Chief Minister of Delhi. Later two of the founders of the party, Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav, left the Aam Aadmi Party in 2017 and formed Swaraj Abhiyan.
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