Within 49 days, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Government in Delhi, led by Arvind Kejriwal, seemed to have lost the plot and stuck in its own quagmire. Excitement and expectation for better corruption-free governance, which were palpable in the beginning, soon vaporised. The Government apparently was trounced with its own style of governance. A glance through Kejriwal’s blink-and-miss tenure leaves no doubt that the AAP Government failed to impress with its 49-day report card. After ruling the Capital for nearly two months with unfulfilled or half-fulfilled promises, Kejriwal resigned from his position after his prized Jan lokpal Bill was defeated at the introductory stage by 27 votes to 42.
After taking over 10 days to form the Government, AAP played around a list of issues and promises on which agreement of the Congress party was sought before accepting their support. From free water to every household to 50 per cent reduction in power tariff, the 18-point agenda of the party managed to blindside the aam aadmi. However, the resignation of Kejriwal and the basis of his decision-defeated Jan lokpal Bill appears more like a slap in the face of voters who elevated him to the throne on the basis of not just the Jan lokpal Bill but a whole list of other promises.
The much-touted pledge of providing free water up to 700 litres to every household every day was the first issue addressed by Kejriwal within three days of coming to power. It was a half-kept promise which had a flipside to it as it caused a spike in water tariff by 10 per cent for consumption above 667 litres. For about half the city population that lives in unauthorised and resettlement colonies like Okhla and Sangam Vihar, the freebie held no importance as they don’t even have water pipelines to their homes.
Earlier, the Delhi Assembly passed an Appropriation Bill of Rs 372 crore to give subsidy to discoms. Opposing the Arvind Kejriwal Government move to give subsidy to discoms, leader of the Opposition Harsh Vardhan alleged that the Bill was brought by the Kejriwal Government to give subsidy to Reliance and it has been established that he (Kejriwal) is acting at the behest of the Ambani group. There were heated arguments between BJP members and AAP MlAs on this issue.
Similarly the reduction in power tariff did not benefit people much as it reduced not 50 per cent but 35 per cent tariff for people who consumed electricity up to 400 units. Riding on the anti- corruption wave, Kejriwal had promised a corruption-free governance and action against corrupt officials through helpline and sting ops.
The helpline was launched but not much happened to the complaints of people. The few decisions that garnered public support were the Government’s decisions to start the helpline for nursery admissions, the abolition of VIP culture with Arvind Kejriwal using his own car and refusing security cover.