Arvind Kejriwal shouldn’t expect much cooperation from either the Congress or the BJP in the run up to the 2014 poll
Two decades ago when the National Front Government led by VP Singh came to power, this author had an interesting conversation with the then Union Minister for Finance Madhu Dandavate. He was cribbing about finding funds to waive off the `10,000crore farmers’ loan promised before the election. When I asked him why his fellow politicians had promised things they could not deliver, the Finance Minister sheepishly admitted that they never thought that they would come to power.
Now, we have the Aam Aadmi Party facing a similar situation — it had a stunning victory in the Delhi Assembly election and must now deliver on its tall promises. No doubt the party and its chief Arvind Kejriwal has captured the imagination of the people of Delhi. But while there is all-round goodwill for him, the Chief Minister-elect has many challenges ahead of him, and so does his party.
Politics may have changed in the local and national scene after the AAP victory this month, which has shown that an election can be won without money or name and fame. The Congress, which has offered to support the AAP Government from the outside, was forced to take this decision, as it did not want to be seen as stonewalling the formation of the Delhi Government.
The Congress hopes that Mr Kejriwal will now look for a bigger national role and his first target will be the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi. Also, none of the Congress candidates who lost in Delhi are prepared to face another election so soon.
As for the BJP, some of its Delhi MlAs think that the party should have formed the Government having emerged as the single largest entity. Sitting in the Opposition is not a wise decision. The BJP, shaken by the AAP’s victory, is trying to change its poll strategy. The question is: Can the AAP deliverIJ
Mr Kejriwal is playing a shrewd politics by trying to change the rules of the game. He will certainly have some initial advantages. One, the honeymoon period will last long as people have put a lot of faith in him and may even forgive his initial mistakes. Therefore, neither the Congress nor the BJP should think of disrupting Mr Kejriwal’s new initiatives, at least for the next six months.
If the present mood continues, the AAP is in an advantageous position and might even get a few seats in other States in the 2014 poll. Mr Kejriwal is already thinking of extending the wings of his party. The AAP could begin in the next few days with the passage of the Jan lokpal Bill, as the mood in the country is against corruption.
However, Mr Kejriwal has to be cautious, as he is no longer an activist but heading the system that he wants to change. Several confrontationists before him have realised this the hard way, like the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal. These parties were voted to power with great expectations.
Mr Kejriwal has sold the dream of a corruption-free State. Prior to the Assembly election, the AAP has promised that it would investigate the various corruption charges levelled against the previous Government and its babus including those involving the 2010 Commonwealth Games-related projects. Should Mr Kejriwal begin his political career with the politics of vendettaIJ
His two major pre-poll promises — reducing the power tariff by 50 per cent and providing free water to Delhiites — will be the hardest to keep. And he knows that. Fixing electricity tariffs is beyond the statutory mandate of the Delhi Government. It is in the domain of the Delhi Electricity Regulation Commission. The only other option is sanctioning a State subsidy, which will amount to `3,200 crore per annum. Similarly, free water to every Delhi household will cost over `400 crore to the exchequer. Where is the money going to come fromIJ
How much cooperation can Mr Kejriwal expect from the Congress or the BJPIJ The BJP controls the trifurcated Delhi Municipal Corporation. And the Congress leads the Government at the Centre. The AAP is opposed to both the national parties. While Mr Kejriwal must be credited with ushering in a new style of politics, only time will tell if he can fulfill the aspirations of the aam aadmi.