Many commentators had written off the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) after its poor performance in the 2014 Indian national elections. However, after its stunning victory in the recently-held Delhi election, when it captured 67 out of 70 seats, there is renewed debate on what the electoral success of the party means for Indian politics.

Monday, May 4, 2015

12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Bunche 10383
Los Angeles, CA

Many commentators had written off the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) after its poor performance in the 2014 Indian national elections. However, after its stunning victory in the recently-held Delhi election, when it captured 67 out of 70 seats, there is renewed debate on what the electoral success of the party means for Indian politics.

This presentation examines three aspects of the AAP phenomenon. First, it analyses AAP’s electoral success in Delhi. Second, it examines how AAP has made the transition from its origins as a movement against corruption to a political party. Third, it looks at the rise of AAP in the context of the literature on India’s political parties, and the AAP’s impact on the political system.