Anna drops IAC brand name, to close Delhi office

It seems to be the end of the road for India Against Corruption.

Having fought a bitter battle with Arvind Kejriwal for the India Against Corruption name, the new Team Anna will not work under that banner any more. Anna Hazare's NGO in Ralegan Siddhi, Bhrashtachar Virodhi Jan Andolan Nyas, will henceforth be the platform from which he and his team will hold programmes. The office at Sarvodaya Enclave here, which had been the bone of contention between volunteers and core team, will wind up by the end of this month. The Ralegan Siddhi office, opened on January 12, will be the centre of the movement. A call will be taken at a later date on a Delhi branch office, if required.

Insiders say Hazare's decision to shift out of Delhi may have had to do with the fact that the last few IAC meetings in Delhi had been very sparsely attended and there was a realisation dawning that bulk of the supporters may have gone with Kejriwal who will generate more buzz as the Assembly polls approach. Ego clashes contributed to the problems of the fledgeling team.

Hazare has an established organisation in Maharashtra, which was incidentally kept out of the flop Mumbai fast in December 2011 but may become his backup now that Delhi seems less than impressed with his aura.

"Anna will not do any work under the IAC banner any more. We will all work as BVJAN from now on. One cannot say this is the end of the road for IAC — anyway it was not a registered body — because there are so many branches functioning in various towns and cities. They will continue to do their work," said Sunita Godara, a member of the new core team. Even the meeting at Patna on January 30 will be under the BVJAN banner, she added.

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