What worry the Congress and the BJP is the possibility of AAP’s repeat performance across India. It is an arduous task, but nothing is impossible in politics. A lot depends on the aam aadmi's votes
For a large chunk of the downtrodden and powerless, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal is a new hope to ideally mend the systemic flaws that keep them deprived of rich resources and the country short of realising the superpower status.
Whatever the media and intellectuals opine on TV channels, the bitter truth is the common man is burdened by rising inflation and burgeoning corruption in each walk of public life. They are now looking up to Kejriwal.
The aam aadmi definition has undergone some interesting changes since the inception of the AAP kind of politics, as support for Kejriwal is pouring from the middle-class which has special distaste for the VIP culture commonplace in the corridors of power.
The dichotomous characters of the public representatives who disappear from the masses after victory in electoral battles have certainly taken a hit under the Aam Aadmi politics. In such a time, when leaders are disconnected with their voters, the AAP has unrolled ways to get direct feedback from the aam aadmi. Impressed by AAP politics, even Rahul Gandhi has taken his cue and has asked his party workers to emulate AAP’s methods to connect to the people. The BJP too has taken a leaf out of the AAP book to win hearts and minds of non-cadres.
Until the rise of Kejriwal, the aam aadmi was dejected and had lost all hope in traditional political parties. But in Kejriwal they see
themselves — a simple man who dresses, talks and eats like them. His simplicity was starkly visible when as the then CM of Delhi he slept on the road outside Rail Bhavan in the biting cold of January 21 to register his protest for the suspension of the “guilty” Delhi Police officials.
His popularity graph has increased following his decision to resign as Chief Minister over the Congress and BJP's opposition to the Jan lokpal Bill. Former bureaucrats and educated people are joining his party in hordes — this is something unprecedented. Moreover, the donation collection has witnessed a sudden increase. The online collection surged to Rs11.74 lakh from 593 donors on the day Kejriwal announced his resignation.
In New Delhi's Okhla area — a deprived subdivision — many activists are making a beeline at AAP's local office for membership. Alas, all of them are not embracing the AAP to fight corruption. Many among them have political ambition and they are looking forward to ride the AAP tsunami.
During his rule, there was automatic cleanup in the Capital — notorious Dl agents at transport department office disappeared for 49 long days. Even many policemen feared to challan innocent motorists. But just 24 hours after Kejriwal's resignation, touts are back to business.
Though claiming that corruption was nowhere to be seen during his short regime will be an exaggeration, the fact is it was minimised.
If Kejriwal fought the Assembly elections on anti-graft drive, the party is gearing up to fight lok Sabha elections against crony capitalism ruling the country. He has already taken on the giant corporate by accusing Reliance Industries of creating artificial gas scarcity leading to inflation. For the first time, any politician has mustered courage to challenge the powerful Ambanis in public. Moreover, he directed the anti-corruption branch (ACB) of Delhi to file an FIR against RIl chairman Mukesh Ambani and Union Petroleum Minister M Veerappa Moily for unholy nexus.
(To know how corporate power is gradually destroying lives, democratic institutions and the ecosystem for the benefit of greedy companies and investors in America, do read David Korten's When Corporations Rule the World.)
This may not be the exact case in India. But we have seen how big companies have been ruling the roost and how political parties keep mum for the sake of clandestine funding.
The meteoric rise of the AAP in Delhi where it bagged 28 seats in its debut has unnerved established political parties, including the Congress and the BJP. What worry them the most is the possibility of AAP’s repeat performance across India. It is an arduous task, but nothing is impossible in politics. A lot depends on the aam aadmi’s votes.
(The author is editor of okhlatimes.com, an e-initiative to empower marginalised through digital inclusion and strengthening local governance)