Meera Sanyal has my vote. I can’t actually vote in the April elections in India, but hypothetically she won me over. 

Meera Sanyal speaks to USC students in Mumbai, India. Katherine Davis/Neon Tommy

Sanyal is representing South Mumbai for the Aam Aadmi Party in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections—the race for seats in the lower house of India’s parliament. Aam Aadmi translates to “ordinary man” and the party is known for the kind of fired-up, grassroots, power-to-the-people rhetoric that got Occupy Wall Street protestors excited in the USA in 2011. 

It’s possible that’s why Sanyal’s energized talk resonated so strongly with our group of young Americans when she spoke to us on Tuesday. But for someone who speaks against the big corporate bullies in favor of the “ordinary man,” Sanyal has a surprising background. She worked in India’s banking industry for about 30 years. But just because she’s worked for major businesses doesn’t mean she tolerates greed. 

“You have to choose a major issue in an election and the one issue that effects every Indian is corruption,” Sanyal said.

She called the recent fatal gang-rape of a 23-year-old woman in Delhi a “defining moment” in Indian politics and said law, order, security, and police accountability are all issues that tie back to an over-arching corruption problem in the country. 

Sanyal was animated speaking before our group. She gestured enthusiastically. She modeled a cap bearing her party’s slogan. Like many American politicians, she sprinkled her discussions of platform issues with stories of common citizens she’s met traveling the country. 

Aam Aadmi is a new party—it was formed in 2011. It’s one of several smaller parties challenging the Indian National Congress, the party and power; and the main opposition party, the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party. The AAP has generated buzz and support, but of course, that may not translate into votes. 

So will Sanyal win in April? Maybe not. But that doesn’t mean she’s not exciting to listen to.