The Aam Aadmi Party chief has lost the halo around him. He is seen as an authoritarian leader who is unable to keep his flock together
Now that the fight is out in the open, where is the Aam Aadmi Party heading toIJ While Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal may have emerged as the winner, with a majority choosing to remain with him mainly because the party is in power, it is clear that all is not well in the young outfit. Mr Kejriwal has certainly lost the halo around him and has emerged as a leader who is not able to quell rising dissatisfaction within the party or keep the flock together. The opposition parties, including the BJP and the Congress, are watching thetamasha with glee. Mr Kejriwal sought votes on the slogan, “Paanch saal Kejriwal”, but is now unable to sustain the confidence for even five months.
Few could have imagined that the AAP, with a landslide victory in the Assembly election, could face such a crisis within weeks of its oath-taking ceremony. If the voters had expected the AAP to settle and concentrate on governance, this is a rude shock for them, as the party chief as well as the senior leaders have indulged in a power struggle. There is no doubt that Mr Kejriwal is a charismatic leader. It was he who attracted a wide range of voters. Party leaders like Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav have their own contribution towards the growth of the party. However, the power struggle began too early and is now out of control.
More importantly, the breakaway group, led by Mr Bhushan and Mr Yadav, does not have the same capacity to attract voters. The rebel leaders have neither the oratory skill nor the political acumen to connect with the people. Therefore, it is doubtful if the duo will succeed even if they eventually float a new outfit. Where did the party go wrongIJ First, Mr Kejriwal started to establish a coterie culture, which put off Mr Yadav and Mr Bhushan. Even before the election, leaders like Ms Shazia Ilmi had left the party in protest. Others like Ms Medha Patkar and Ms Anjali Damania have resigned, even as Mr Yadav, Mr Bhushan and Admiral l Ramdas were being sidelined. Also, there had been criticism about the functioning of Mr Kejriwal.
Second, the AAP chief started building a personality cult, trying to take total control of the party. Insiders claim that he became a larger-than-life figure in the party, much before the present crisis. This upset other senior leaders who would not play second fiddle to Mr Kejriwal. Mass support made him superior to others, and it is a pity that an activist, who worked hard to reach this stage, is throwing all the gains away.
Third, a party which created history after its big win should have been ready to face the challenge of indiscipline. Factionalism, groupism and indiscipline are a part of a growing party but AAP leaders neither had the capacity nor the experience to tackle it. The revolt in the party began too soon. Fourth, it was obvious that Mr Kejriwal, encouraged by a huge electoral victory, was in no mood to decentralise and share power. The Yadavs and Bhushans insisted on a one-man, one-post principle and after Mr Kejriwal became Chief Minister, thought that he should concentrate on governance. It is no secret that even earlier, Mr Shanti Bhushan had conveyed a blunt message that Mr Kejriwal should make way for Mr Yadav to become the AAP convener.
While it remains to be seen if the AAP will be strong enough after a possible split, it is for Mr Kejriwal to re-build the party’s image along with providing good governance. This can happen only if he learns lessons from the past and delegates authority. While some might argue that Mr Kejriwal is the party chief and his image may not be damaged just because he is building a personality cult — after all leaders like Ms Jayalalithaa, Ms Mamata Banerjee and Ms Mayawati have done much the same and not suffered politically — let’s not forget that Mr Kejriwal had come to power on the promise of leading a party in a refreshingly different manner.
Unless he follows a democratic route and leads a transparent regime, neither he nor his party will portray an image of being truly different. Stifling dissent and throwing out leaders is not the answer. A growing party needs to keep its charismatic members so as to attract more supporters.