Kejriwal's haste in seeking a mandate in the lok Sabha by sacrificing power in Delhi smacks of populist politics. The AAP must explain how a supporting business tycoon who is likely to fight lS polls on a party ticket is ‘aam aadmi’
“It is the duty of every citizen according to his best capacities to give validity to his convictions in political affairs” — Albert Einstein
The most despicable predicament of Indian democracy, particularly when elections are round the corner, is vigorous competitive populist politics, which has been abetted by increasing distrust of the Congress-led Government at the Centre.
Although the Congress has been the grandmaster in this craft, of late it has got formidable challenges from unexpected quarters. The most recent one is the AIADMK Government’s attempt to free Rajiv Gandhi’s assassins. The masterstroke has indeed earned substantial chunk of Tamil votes for Jayalalithaa in Tamil Nadu, but at the same time it has dented her national ambitions because the populist move is aimed at luring only innocent Tamils who have abandoned themselves to the siege mentality that India as a whole is anti-Tamil.
However, in any case, no matter how forcefully Jayalalithaa tries to project herself as a prime ministerial candidate, she has realised she is not in the reckoning, particularly when the Modi wave is gaining momentum across India. In this prevailing scenario, for most of gullible voters, there is only one dark horse, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), whose speed of rise in the national politics in undisputedly incredible. The moot point is AAP’s ascend is incredible not because the pace of its birth is unique but because it does not stand up to the scrutiny of elements of a successful socio-political movement: which has to be slow & steady, a condition required to produce and thrive democratic institutions and
leadership, not dictatorship.
AAP ki test
Indian voters are sick and tired of the 60 years of vote-bank politics by the Congress. We need an alternative government which doesn’t only promise but delivers also and doesn’t indulge in populist rhetoric. Therefore, as informed citizens, it is our right and duty to find the true colours of the new players in the national political arena, and then help build opinions based on truth and rational discourse.
With AAP’s stunning success in the Delhi Assembly election and subsequent toppling of its own Government to aim bigger at the Centre, the party and its convener have confused general voters like me who are not fixated at a
particular political party or its ideology. Was it required for Kejriwal to shun responsibility given by Delhi voters to fight for some berths in Parliament, or is it sheer populist politicsIJ Has AAP’s naturalisation process in the Indian politics startedIJ There are a volley of questions in the minds of even those who till now were staunch supporters of Kejriwal-led AAP.
Therefore, it is necessary to subject the AAP politics to four characteristics of populist politics to assess its suitability for the nation-building: whether the AAP took birth as an “unwanted” antagonist to the prevailing forms and practices of representative politics in India; second, whether the party caters to unified apolitical mass with hypothetical solutions; third, whether it survives on “we good” vs “they evil”; and fourth, whether it is pitching elites, specially India Inc, against one another.
The origin of the AAP dates back to the Anna-led lokpal campaign for foolproof measures against corruption that flourished under the UPA Government. later Kejriwal and his team cashed in on the pent-up frustration among the common man and the AAP was born.
The AAP came to power in Delhi with undeliverable promises, including the Jan lokpal Bill. However, his anti-graft campaign got a setback when the Centre, with the support of Opposition BJP, passed the lokpal and lokayuktas Act. The accomplishment left the AAP with no option but to look for ways to get out of governance. By the way, populist politics prospers more in promises than in deliverance, more on the Opposition podium than along the government corridors. Did Kejriwal opt out of the labyrinth of rules and regulation of governance for these reasonsIJ
His moves like power penalty waiver to bill defaulters, all of whom are AAP cadres, at the cost of developmental funds were nothing but regressive populist measures. The second most outrageous but populist declaration was making his vote-bank auto drivers immune to prosecution for misbehaviour with passengers.
Passing all tests on populist politics, the AAP has shown itself as divine force against the so-called devils. As for fighting against VIP culture, Kejriwal’s swearing-in ceremony at Ramlila Maidan cost the exchequer much more than required in a traditional Raj Bavan function. Moreover, his ministers didn’t need red beacons, because they opted for VIP number plates.
However, the most conspicuous U-turn the AAP took is seen in the selection of candidates for lS
elections through “clandestine” process. “Outsider” Damania faced protest from AAP workers, and Ashutosh met the same fate. The art of selection of “Khas aadmi” in the name of “aam aadmi” is marvelous. There is already news that industrialist Rajiv Bajaj is likelyto fight on an AAP ticket. Arethose moneybags who supportthe AAP are “aam aadmi”IJ
There remains a riddle for aam aadmi why the AAP took support of the Congress to form a government, as during and after the election Kejriwal had harped on: “We will neither take nor give support to the Congress or the BJP”IJ As per the media report, only 1,97,086 SMSes (Delhi has 1.19 crore voters) had supported the AAP to form a government in Delhi.
The Congress was desperate to support the AAP to form a government fearing the Modi wave would otherwise clean sweep a Delhi Assembly re-election held together with lok Sabha polls. Was Kejriwal too afraid of the sameIJ
Benefit of doubt for Delhi, not Centre
Kejriwal’s adamancy on my way or highway is a blatant disrespect to the established process of democratic consensus building. He needn’t have resigned when the Jan lokpal Bill couldn’t be introduced in the Assembly. He could have gone to the lok Sabha polls exposing the Congress, but he choseto quit for a greener pasture in Parliament.
Though undeniably Kejriwal has left the Delhi voters in the lurch by resigning as Delhi Chief Minister with an alibi that its partner Congress and Opposition BJP didn’t allow him to run the government, he should be given a clear mandate to prove his mettle in Delhi, not at the Centre. Delhi is perfect platform for him.
Because governance is a complex process and unlike a State, the Centre can’t afford President Rule. There is genuine fear that if Parliament do not give its consent to any of Kejriwal’s Bills he would quit the government to seek the absolute majority. This will only force repetitive elections till he gets his way.
let him first deliver in Delhi. If he does, Indian voters will make him the Prime Minister of India one day, otherwise hell with him; we don’t need another entry in the unwanted list of demagogues. Supporting the AAP in the lS polls is the best bet to give new lease of life to the tainted UPA, against whom the AAP got majority votes in Delhi.
(The writer is Associate Editor and News Editor, The Pioneer)