Team Anna to end fast today, will enter to politics?

New Delhi: Nine days after their fast, the anti-corruption activists, members of Team Anna, will end their agitation on Friday. This comes after Team Anna made a dramatic announcement of giving the country a political alternative. Anna said he and his team are going to end their fast on Friday and that his aides want feedback within 48 hours on whether they should form a political party.

“There is nothing wrong with forming a party…we need to provide an alternative to the people,” the 75-year-old said, sharing that the public’s interest has to be safeguarded. His camp was filled to capacity; around him, a sea of flags waved.

There was an attempted referendum of sorts too, with Team Anna member Arvind kejriwal himself asking questions to the gathered public about the road ahead.

“What should we be doing, should there be a political alternative,” Kejriwal asked the people gathered at Jantar Mantar.

Cabinet Minister and Congress leader Ambika Soni pointed out that joining the political process is an arduous task. “Some of us always felt they were always inching towards active politics. They’ll understand obligations and constraints,” she said. (What politicians say)

Social activist and an Anna supporter, Medha Patkar, too warned Anna, saying “He should think at least a hundred times before joining politics.”

Earlier on Thursday, a group of prominent citizens including Justice Santosh Hegde and former Army Chief General VK Singh wrote to Anna, urging him to end his fast and focus on giving people a political alternative. “The ongoing fast represents a voice of conscience… the political establishment has not cared to listen, leave alone to respond, to this voice,” their letter says, urging Anna and his associates to “form an alternative political force.”

Anna has been fasting since Sunday; his aides, Arvind Kejriwal, Gopal Rai and Manish Sisodia, have not eaten in nine days.