23 ALMs (Advanced Locality Managements) on Monday extended their support to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Mumbai ahead of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls, which are scheduled in 2022.
What are ALMs?
Advanced Locality Managements (ALMs) are known to be the backbone of 'Citizen Activism' in Mumbai. The ALM members ensure that the BMC delivers in their respective neighbourhoods through rigorous follow ups with the authorities. They to voluntarily take up community issues and civic grievances. Their work involves determined and persistent follow ups with sitting municipal corporators and BMC staff.
On Monday, over 30 ALMs participated in a webinar organised by AAP, as part of the party's outreach to civic activists in Mumbai. "23 ALMs extended support to the party and will provide help in citizen engagement and community mobilization in their respective wards, in the run up to BMC polls," the party release said.
"While ALM movement stalwarts Mustan Tambawala, Anand Desai and Rupali Inamdar are senior members of AAP in Mumbai, citizen activists-Teresa Coelho and Rajan Mehrotra have formally joined the Aam Aadmi Party," it added.
Ruben Mascarenhas, AAP's National Jt Secretary, said, "Teresaji is one of the founders of the ALM movement in Mumbai and is a household name in Amboli-Andheri W. She has been resolving civic issues in Amboli and has been working for the underprivileged for the last 30 years. Rajanji is another stalwart of the ALM movement. He has worked extensively for civic issues, open spaces and mangroves in Andheri Lokhandwala. Teresaji and Rajaniji are role models, for all of us Mumbaikars and it as honour to have them with us."
Meanwhile, Preeti Sharma Menon said the AAP is a citizen's party and is "the rightful inheritors of the legacy of Mumbai's citizen movement". "Civic Activism to Clean Politics is a natural evolution. It is heartening to see, Civic leaders who have selflessly championed the causes of their neighborhoods, join AAP," the party's Mumbai Prabhari said.
"We are thrilled to have Rajanji and Teresaji on board with us and are grateful to the 23 ALMs who have extended their support to us. This no. is only going to exponentially increase in the coming days, as more and more ALMs have begun to view AAP as a vehicle for change and for doing good in Mumbai," she added.
