'AAP as a party has failed and risen. What matters is that we as alert citizens are able to create alternatives to traditional politics. This has to be the win of alternative politics over traditional politics.'
"AAP's win will change Indian politics forever," says Deelip Mhaske, one of the idealists who moved to India from the United States and joined the Aam Aadmi Party.
"It will generate tremendous synergy among other social activists across India to be part of politics," he added. "Once good people join politics, naturally politics will change. A change in politics and political leaders will bring new ideas and transparent ways for governance."
Mhaske worked for the New Jersey state government before returning to India a couple of years ago.
He contested the last Lok Sabha election as an AAP candidate from Jalna in Maharashtra, but lost to the Bharatiya Janata Party's Raosaheb Danve.
Mhaske and others who returned from the US and contested the elections said then that they were shocked to see the realities of Indian politics. Yet, they said they had no regret in going back home, to India.
He campaigned for AAP in the Delhi assembly election from Mumbai, calling people in Delhi over the telephone. He is currently working to involve more social activists in AAP, which he says is very important so that AAP does not become another Congress or BJP.
"T he Delhi election has been a contest for principle," Mhaske told this correspondent over the telephone. "Never before in the history of Indian politics has a great issue been fought out by the voters themselves."
"The traditional politics of caste, religion, muscle power, and hatred will end by AAP's win," Mhaske felt.
"Every political party will learn a lesson -- that Indians need action. No more will we blindly trust politicians, and we the 'People of India' are ready to take politics in our hands."
"This victory is a motivation to every Indian that we are going to change the nation," Mhaske said.
"If we need to celebrate, we should celebrate all those good people who left all luxury to be part of the revolution of cleaning politics," he added.
"We will celebrate not just AAP's win, we will celebrate the trust of citizens in good democracy," he said.
"AAP as a party has failed and risen. What matters is that we as alert citizens are able to create alternatives to traditional politics. This has to be the win of alternative politics over traditional politics."
He reiterated that he does not regret returning to India. "There is no regret in building a nation. As an Indian it is our responsibility to build the foundation for a better India. It is an attempt to bring change to what matters."
