Former Union minister RCP Singh launched a new political party — Aap Saabki Aawaz (ASA) — here in Bihar capital on Thursday on Diwali and the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

He slammed chief minister Nitish Kumar on the occasion but kept quiet on the BJP, which he had quit on October 20 after being sidelined for around a year.

“Today is Deepawali and the ‘deep’ (earthen lamp) bestows the light of hope. The short form of the name of my party Aap Saabki Aawaz is ‘ASA’, which means hope in the Hindi language. It will give hope to the people of Bihar. I also chose the day to float the party because today is the birth anniversary of our great freedom fighter and leader Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel,” Singh said.

Incidentally, 66-year-old Singh hails from the Kurmi caste, which figures among the Other Backward Classes, and considers Patel its icon. Nitish is also from the same caste.

The Kurmis are around 3 per cent of Bihar’s population but are economically well-off, counted among the landed gentry, socio-politically aware, and considered upwardly
mobile. Choosing to announce the formation of the party on Patel’s birth anniversary, could be a strategy to attract voters and supporters from the caste.

Speaking after launching the party, Singh asserted that it would contest the Bihar Legislative Assembly elections next year in a full-fledged manner and already has prospective candidates for 140 out of the total 243 seats.

The new party will have a flag of green, yellow and blue colours. It will apply to the Election Commission of India for an election symbol.