IT?S A coup of sorts. After its stellar performance in the Delhi assembly elections in December last year, Arvind Kejriwal?s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has seen a dramatic rise in the number of people joining the organisation. As per reports, on an average, about 15,000 to 20,000 people are enrolling themselves as members every day. Since an announcement earlier in January that it would contest the Lok Sabha elections, its membership has reportedly crossed 10 million.

On Tuesday, the party completed a month in power in Delhi.

What is adding further sheen to the fledgling party?s political spectrum is the impressive list of big names who have decided to become a part of the AAP revolution. From IT gurus to media executives, from pop icons to former sportspersons, the party is increasingly attracting prominent faces from different walks of life.

So what role are these high-profile recruits going to play in the party? According to AAP national executive committee member and Delhi cabinet minister Manish Sisodia, the new members will ?have to use themselves for the country. They have to plan. They are also citizens of this country?. Dilip Pandey, secretary, selection committee, AAP, adds: ?We will speak with them to understand what qualities they have and where they can be used in the organisation. And wherever they are found fit, we will use them. However, no one has said, ?we want to do this, or we want to do that?. They are ready to do any work the party demands.?

Interestingly, Kejriwal refuses to call these new members ?influential?. ?We consider everyone equal in AAP and everyone is a volunteer here,? he says. In the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections, the party chief says tickets will be given only to deserving candidates and after proper verification. ?Once the verification is over, we will put them under public scrutiny. Once this is over, only then will the party decide,? adds Sisodia.

The young anti-graft party plans to field at least 350 candidates in the Lok Sabha elections due by May. On Thursday, it released its first list of probable candidates that included banker Meera Sanyal and activist Mayank Gandhi for Maharashtra, while no senior leader?s name featured from

Delhi and Haryana so far.

Here?s looking at some of these new celebrity members of the common man?s party…

V Balakrishnan, 48

(Former Infosys board member)

After a 22-year illustrious career at Infosys, where he became its chief financial officer and was said to be a top contender for the post of CEO, V Balakrishnan wanted to be a part of the change that AAP claims it is trying to bring about.

?They have given a fresh perspective to people who want to root out corruption from India. Corruption is one of the biggest hurdles the country is facing right now and other political parties like the BJP and Congress have failed to make any impact,? says the 48-year-old political greenhorn, adding: ?So I thought if people like me come and join the party, which is fighting corruption, it would be a real help.?

According to Balakrishnan, AAP is the best start-up ever by an IITian and ?I am ready to perform any role the party gives me or invest in any means. If given a chance, I will do whatever possible to help the party?.

Captain GR Gopinath, 62 (Founder, Air Deccan)

Captain GR Gopinath, the founder of low-cost airline Air Deccan, joined AAP on January 3 this year. The former army captain, who spent eight years in service and even fought in the 1971 war, made his first foray into politics in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, as an independent candidate, in which he fought from Bangalore South and lost. Impressed by AAP?s anti-corruption stand, Gopinath says: ?The party is still young, but Kejriwal and his colleagues have tirelessly and fearlessly built the party into a robust outfit and taken the country by storm by capturing the seat of power in Delhi. More than that event, they have completely given a new dimension to politics and shown that elections can be fought and won without money, muscle and caste backing. That is the biggest contribution to Indian politics.?

He feels AAP must take its time and come out with a long-term vision for India on economy, fiscal policy, defence and foreign affairs, which will create a stable India.

Adarsh Shastri, 40 (Former sales head of Apple, western India, and grandson of former PM Lal Bahadur Shastri)

Being THE grandson of former PM Lal Bahadur Shastri, Adarsh Shastri felt that he, too, should join the anti-corruption movement spearheaded by Kejriwal. ?In the last few years, I have seen political values of the country degrade and I am disenchanted. However, when Arvind Kejriwal formed AAP, I felt there is a possibility of conviction,? says the former sales head of Apple in western India and son of Congress leader Anil Shastri. Right now, Shastri is assisting Pankaj Gupta, AAP?s national secretary, in party work. He?s also part of a three-member team screening candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

?With my 17 years of experience in Apple and being the national secretary of the Indian Cellular Association for a long time, I am expecting to play a role as the industry face of the party in forming economic and telecom policies,? he adds.

Meera Sanyal, 53 (Former CEO, Royal Bank of Scotland)

In MarcH last year, Meera Sanyal decided to relinquish a successful career in banking and enter public service full-time. ?I felt it was essential to take a stand and participate constructively in the political process rather than just criticise the system. In May (2013), my husband Ashish and I met Arvind Kejriwal and found that our thinking was very similar. Over the course of the next few months, we interacted and were impressed with his idealism, integrity and courage,? says the former chairperson and CEO of Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) India, who contested the 2009 Lok Sabha elections as an independent candidate from Mumbai South and lost.

Sanyal, who is an MBA from INSEAD, France, and was the class valedictorian for the 2006 advanced management programme at Harvard Business School, is looking forward to contributing to formulation of the economic policy and manifesto of the party.

Sameer NaiR, 48 (Former CEO of Star TV and NDTV Imagine)

Sameer Nair was an avid follower of the Jan Lokpal agitation under the Anna Hazare-led India Against Corruption campaign. He joined AAP in October last year, ahead of the Delhi assembly elections, to help the party formulate communication strategies. ?The good thing about this party is that everything it says is for the benefit of society, be it good governance, anti-corruption stand, call for swaraj, etc. I think it?s not only me or you, every like-minded person should join AAP ,? he says.

The former CEO of Star TV and NDTV Imagine is currently working with the Maharashtra team of the party and contributing towards the communication cell and fund-raising initiatives. Nair doesn?t want to contest Lok Sabha polls as a candidate, but would like to work with ?selected people at the ground level and give them the required support?.

Ashutosh, 44 (Former managing editor, IBN7)

Ashutosh joined AAP on January 9. ?I have been intimating and telling people about the problems in society like corruption on various platforms. However, a time comes when you have to decide if you want to do something from the inside or stay outside. I chose to do it from the inside,? says the former managing editor of IBN7. Ashutosh has already started working at the ground level with the party. ?Recently, I was with Kumar Vishwas for a roadshow in Amethi and plan to continue doing the same kind of work,? he adds. For the time being, Ashutosh plans to use his experience as a journalist and member of the media to give valuable inputs to strengthen the party from the inside. He doesn?t intend to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. ?When I became a member of AAP, I categorically told everyone that I am not here to contest elections. I am here to learn, exchange ideas and formulate plans, which can strengthen the party,? he adds. With an MPhil degree in Soviet Studies from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, he is now the party spokesperson.

Mallika SarabhaI, 60 (Dancer, activist)

Danseuse, ACTOR and social activist Mallika Sarabhai, daughter of scientist Vikram Sarabhai and classical dance exponent Mrinalini Sarabhai, joined AAP on January 8, calling herself its ?foot soldier?. ?AAP is the first party that comes with a set of principles that I adhere to, be it transparency and anti-corruption, or taking democracy back to the people. It can become a national game-changer. I have been fighting for these things for years and here is an opportunity to do it with many like-minded people,? she says.

Sarabhai was in the news when she contested Lok Sabha elections in 2009 as an independent candidate against veteran BJP leader LK Advani in Gandhinagar, but lost by a huge margin. She recently got into a spat with AAP leader Kumar Vishwas over his views on BJP?s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, as well as on minorities and women.

Nirmal Kaur, 78 (Former captain of Indian women?s volleyball team and wife of athlete Milkha Singh)

As an employee of the Chandigarh administration for several years, Nirmal Kaur says she had been witnessing corruption at every level. ?So I will give them (AAP) the needed support to resolve these issues and clean the system,? says the 78-year-old former captain of the Indian women?s volleyball team and wife of legendary athlete Milkha Singh. ?My experience within the administration will be a big help to the party,? she adds.

Elaborating on the reasons behind her latest move, Kaur says, ?The topics that AAP is covering are very good. From the time India got independence, these issues should have been resolved, but corruption is so deeply rooted in the country that these issues keep cropping up time and again. AAP has given people hope.? Though her husband Milkha Singh has said no to politics, her US-based daughter, too, has joined AAP.

HS PhoolkA, 58 (Senior lawyer)

Senior lawyer HS Phoolka, who is known for spearheading one of the longest and most tortuous legal ?crusades? to secure justice for the victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, joined AAP on January 7. ?Social activists came together to form this political party to ensure good governance and freedom from moral and economic corruption. After 30 years of being a social and legal activist, it was a natural choice to be an active part of this social revolution,? he says.

The senior lawyer doesn?t think his decision of joining politics will impact his fight for justice for the 1984 riot victims, as ?the party is already quite committed over the issue?. ?But other issues that I?m associated with, like justice and equality, education and the fight against communal violence, will definitely get a boost,? he adds. At the moment, Phoolka will perform all his duties as a member and hasn?t yet decided on contesting the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.