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Mayank Gandhi

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Mayank Gandhi
Personal details
Political partyAam Aadmi Party
EducationBSE, Management
OccupationSocial Activist and politician

Mayank Gandhi is a social activist from India. He was previously a member of the core committee in the India Against Corruption movement, and a National Executive member of the Aam Aadmi Party.

His education qualification is of Engineering and Management from Mumbai. Mayank Gandhi has a longstanding activism experience.[1]

Activism and political career

He was involved with the Lok Satta and to the movement for around two years from 2005-2006, then left it in 2007 because of what he termed "petty internal politics, which I didn't like."[2] He campaigned on behalf of Hansel D’Souza in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, as founder and leader of Jagruk Nagrik Manch (JNM), the organisation that had nominated D'Souza for the contest.[3] JNM had been created as a Mumbai citizens' voluntary organisation in 2008 with the intent of making the political system more accountable and it had among its supporters various non-governmental organisations (NGO) as well as Lok Satta. Gandhi said at that time that the usual responses by concerned groups to challenging situations, such as lists of demands, were "knee-jerk reactions. We need a sustained movement for a better system and work on political intervention, if need be."[4]

Around 2011, he became a part of the India Against Corruption (IAC) movement and a member of its 24-person "core committee", which was officially the full extent of the movement in a formal organisational sense. JNM then became embroiled in a row with other IAC activists after being perceived to let down the movement by failing properly to organise a fast in Mumbai that was being undertaken by Anna Hazare as part of the 2011 anti-corruption protests. There were claims that Gandhi's role included being an intermediary between JNM and IAC.[5] As had happened in 2007, Gandhi found himself unable to continue just as the movement was evolving into a political party. In this instance, his decision was because of allegations of tax evasion that had been laid against him by a colleague in the IAC, Viren Shah. He said that he could not understand the basis of the allegations and that Shah had not responded to his requests for more information.[2]

Gandhi was once secretary of the Remaking of Mumbai Federation (RoMF) and continues as an independent consultant for strategic planning of infrastructure projects. He was a member of the advisory group of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat between 2007-2013 and has been officially representing India in that organisation since 2010.[6]

Gandhi served as a member of the National Executive of the Aam Aadmi Party until 2015. He also served as the party's head in Maharashtra,[7] before his unit was disbanded by Aam Admi Party because of differences with the party chief Arvind Kejriwal.[8][9]

Gandhi accused Kejriwal of deviating from the path of honest politics, and of "using and throwing" party volunteers.[10][11] In 2015, he resigned from the party's National Executive, stating that he had been losing interest in politics.[12]

References

  1. ^ "Meera Sanyal, Mayank Gandhi in AAP's first list of probable LS candidates". Rediff. 31 January 2014. Retrieved 20 March 2014.
  2. ^ a b Singh, Varun (24 October 2012). "Controversy gets the better of Mayank Gandhi, again - News". Mid-Day. Retrieved 20 March 2014.
  3. ^ Baliga, Linah (30 September 2009). "Campaigning is passé, it's time for kitty parties". DNA India. Retrieved 20 March 2014.
  4. ^ "Mumbai needs a CEO: Citizens' group". MumbaiVotes.com. 25 December 2008. Retrieved 20 March 2014.
  5. ^ Ghosh, Abantika (29 December 2011). "Shifting stir to Mumbai a mistake: IAC". Indian Express. Retrieved 20 March 2014.
  6. ^ "Mayank Gandhi". Ctbuh.org. Retrieved 20 March 2014.
  7. ^ "State AAP unit invites bureaucrats, professionals to join party". The Times of India. 9 December 2013.
  8. ^ http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-maharashtra-aap-unit-disbanded-preeti-sharma-hits-out-mayank-gandhi-2131044
  9. ^ http://www.oneindia.com/india/aap-disbands-maharashtra-unit-mayank-gandhi-says-kejriwal-destroying-party-1886840.html
  10. ^ http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Gutter-of-politics-overpowered-us-AAP-leader-Mayank-Gandhi/articleshow/49204663.cms
  11. ^ http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/mayank-gandhi-hits-out-at-party-after-aaps-maharashtra-unit-is-dissolved/article7712399.ece
  12. ^ Mayank Gandhi Resigns From AAP National Executive
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