The road ahead for Team Anna, which has hinted at forming a political party, is expected to be long, bumpy and arduous.

Forming a party and contesting election is a different ball game altogether, unlike organising mass movements or holding fasts. Fasts and rallies do not last beyond a few days and are usually region specific. On the contrary, a political party is a 24×7 business, although it remains to be seen which regions Anna Hazare and his acolytes focus on, after forming the party. Launching a party calls for several ends to be met, funding being a major concern. Instead of concentrating on a single issue, say corruption, the party has to make its stand clear on a slew of issues like reservation, sub-quota for minorities and economy. Team Anna has to ensure that its campaign against corruption is different from other parties, since every party claims to fight corruption. The BJP had  even launched a yatra against corruption last year, led by L K Advani.

One of the first tasks Team Anna will have to accomplish is to stop speaking in different voices, which it did on several occasions. The activists, who has consistently denounced the political class, should now be aware that it is going to be a part of the system. They will now come under sharp scrutiny unlike in the past.

The new party will also be required to make its stand clear on Baba Ramdev. 
Ramdev’s appearance in their programmes has often embarrassed Team Anna, especially after he shared dais with Gujarat CM Narendra Modi, a day after attending the protest in Delhi.

However, Team Anna has not yet announced details of their political inclinations. Hazare had recently said he will neither join nor launch a party.  “We will deliberate over the next few days about the parameters needed as we have conceptually decided about the need to start a political alternative,” said Mayank Gandhi.

Medha opposes  move

Narmada activist Medha Patkar is opposed Team Anna Hazare’s  move of jumping into the electoral politics. She and other rights activists including Justice Rajinder Sachar in a statement on Thursday evening suggested the Team Anna “to collectively develop an alternative political culture”.

Sources close to her said that she is not happy with the development reports Decan Herald from Delhi

 In a joint statement, Medha Patkar, Justice (Retd.) Rajindar Sachar, Advocate Sanjay Parikh, Gabriele Dietrich, Arundhati Dhuru and  Madhuresh Kumar have advised focusing on people’s issues and movement

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