AAP says over 1m joined party in just 24 hours

New Delhi: Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday claimed that over a million people from across the country had joined the party within 24 hours of its stunning win in the Delhi Assembly elections. Contrary to the speculation that several chief ministers from other states will attend Mr Kejriwal’s oath-taking ceremony at Ramlila Maidan on Sunday, the party has made it clear no leaders from the Opposition parties have been invited and it will be a “Delhi-specific” ceremony. There are indications, however, that the party could invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the seven BJP MPs from Delhi to the oath ceremony.

Soon after its historic victory in the Assembly elections, the AAP shared a mobile number on the day of counting on Tuesday requesting people could give a missed call to join the party. Early on Thursday, the AAP’s official Twitter handle announced that over one million people had already joined the party. The tweet said: “More than 1 million people have joined AAP within 24 hours of our massive victory. To join AAP, give a missed call on 9871010101.”

The AAP had earlier claimed almost 11 lakh people had taken part in the party’s campaign by giving a missed call to the number that was shared with people across the country using multiple media outlets. It was a part of the AAP’s nation-building campaign titled “AAP Rashtra Nirman”, where all Indians were invited to join the party and help develop the nation.

AAP’s Delhi unit chief Gopal Rai said that Mr Kejriwal, along with his Cabinet colleagues, will take oath as chief minister for a third term in a “Delhi-specific” ceremony. The six ministers to take the oath will be Manish Sisodia, Gopal Rai, Satyendra Jain, Kailash Gehlot, Rajendra Pal Gautam and Imran Hussain.

Mr Rai said: “No chief minister or political leader from other states will be invited for the ceremony that is going to be specific to Delhi.” He said Mr Kejriwal will take the oath with the people of Delhi, who have reposed their faith in his leadership.

Mr Kejriwal was first sworn in at Ramlila Maidan when the AAP made a spectacular debut in the 2013 elections, although he resigned as chief minister after 49 days over an ant-corruption bill. He was again sworn in as CM in 2015 after his party won 67 of the 70 seats in Delhi.

In 2015, Mr Kejriwal had ended his fiery speech after taking the oath as the eighth CM of Delhi with the Hindi song Insaan ka insaan se ho bhaichaara, seeking to drive home the message of universal brotherhood and harmony. Mr Kejriwal had sung the same song from the 1959 film Paigham during his last swearing-in ceremony in 2013. Thousands at the ceremony had also joined the newly sworn-in CM in singing the Manna Dey song.

The historic Ramlila Maidan was also the venue of the anti-corruption movement led by Gandhian and social worker Anna Hazare in 2011.