In a bid to earn National Status, they are contesting elections in Punjab Uttarakhand and Goa. Now following their big victory in the Municipal Election in Surat, the party is now eyeing on 227 seats in the Civic Body Election in Mumbai in February 2022. The Party has opened an office in South Mumbai, the heart of Maharashtra’s politics. The opening of the Party’s in south Mumbai office is a part of their larger campaign to reach out to Mumbai voters and establish physical presence across prominent locations in the city.

Brief Introduction Of Ruben Mascarenhas

It is our pleasure to introduce Ruben Mascarenhas, AAP Mumbai Working President and Ward President – Ward 69. In the world of politics and social activism, Ruben is an acclaimed figure – having fought for accountability, civic participation, and public problem-solving in politics since the early age of 17. A technologist and a social entrepreneur by profession, Ruben was at the forefront of the India Against Corruption Movement from its conception. He has led many protests & social projects in Mumbai, and has earned the love of Mumbaikars by virtue of his selfless service during the Covid – 19 pandemic, through KhaanaChahiye – Ruben’s hunger relief operations NGO & policy think-tank, as well as through the AAP Mumbai Covid-19 Helpline, which was set up under his leadership. Ruben is an IT engineer by training, has worked with media and social media extensively, and is now onwards to becoming a leader in the sphere of politics and activism by contesting the 2022 Municipal Elections.

When asked about his decision to contest the Municipal elections, Ruben speaks of his reflections of Mumbai – a city that is characterized by polar extremes. “We have islands of prosperity surrounded by fields of poverty, and this gap is widening with each passing day. Over the course of my experiences working with the Election Commission and the BMC, I realized that it was essential for me to lead the change towards honest governance, and civic participation in politics, from the front.” Comparing across India’s states and cities, it can no longer be denied, as Ruben puts it, that the Delhi Model under Arvind Kejriwal has yielded revolutionary results – underpinned by a strong political intent and a progressive policy vision.

Water and electricity are provided free of cost up to a threshold, healthcare has been made widely accessible through the development of Mohalla Clinics, and government schools are overtaking private schools in terms of quality of education and infrastructure.” As opposed to this, Ruben remarks, the BMC is led by a ‘PR Sarkar’, one that makes bold claims and tall budgets, with nothing to show for them. “A budget of 39,000 Crores makes the BMC better funded than several Indian states, yet we fail to provide even the most rudimentary civic facilities, with no guarantees of quality or access.”

Ruben believes that the AAP model has been made conceived by the same idea of governance that was seen during the India Against Corruption Movement – one that seeks to remain accountable to all, and deliver policies aimed at improving standards of living, moving away from narratives of communalism and hate which have become pervasive today. As Ruben puts it, “The AAP is the political alternative that we have all been looking for.”

Name: Ruben Mascarenhas
Positions: Co-Founder, KhaanaChahiye Foundation; Technologist and Social Activist
AAP Mumbai Working President
AAP Ward President – Ward 69
Office Address: 202, Vishwa Nanak, B-Wing, Above Model Coop Bank, Guru Nanak Wadi, Chakala Junction, Andheri East, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400099

Current Political Presence of Aam Admi Party:

62 Assembly members in delhi Assembly (AAP Leader Mr. Arvind Kejriwal CM)

117 Assembly Member in Punjab Assembly

3 Member of Parliament in Rajya Sabha

27 Municipal Councillors in Surat Municipal Corporation