By NewGram Staff Writer

In a bid to gain power outside its home turf, Delhi, Aam Aadmi Party is planning to contest civic polls in Mumbai and Bengaluru, a newspaper report said.

The party is testing waters in the two cities by conducting exercises to seek volunteers.

"For fighting a war, you need an army. While district and assembly constituency-level conveners are in place, we are working on having polling booth-level conveners over next 2-3 months. In Mumbai, each ward has 40 polling booths. We should have our volunteers in at least 20. From a total 9,000 polling booths in the city, our target is to cover at least two thirds, that is 6,000 polling booths," an AAP member in Mumbai told The Economic Times.

According to another party member, AAP's position is stronger in Mumbai where the volunteers are better organized.

"Volunteers are better organised in Maharashtra, and if they get mobilised for Mumbai in 2017, we have a good chance for making a good debut. That is why the polling booth-level volunteers' exercise is being done not only in Mumbai, but all of Maharashtra."

Aam Aadmi Party's most favored leader in Mumbai is Meera Sanyal, followed by Feroze Palkhiwala. In Bengaluru, ex-Infosys director V Balakrishnan is the main face behind AAP's campaign.

According to sources inside the party, the decision was made based on feedback of volunteers.