One melodramatic episode in Delhi’s political sop opera is over, even as the next is impatiently waiting to unfold. There was a definite pattern behind the whole drama enacted all these days: Arvind Kejriwal wants to leverage his instant martyrdom on Janlokpal into a long term investment for the Lok Sabha polls. In a way, it is endgame one, and the immediate rush into another, far more powerful league where the Aam Aadmi Party has staked its all. It was a combination of both: disinclination to govern given its demands and a game plan that Kejriwal reserved which he will unleash now. But for the moment, the picture is not as pretty as the Aam aadmi Party would have ideally wanted. No matter how the party perceives it, the end of the Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi was not prompted by a face-off over corruption. Neither did it come because parties of the established order toppled it. In fact, the Congress maintained steadfast support, despite the daily disagreements, and the BJP also went along with the Jan Lokpal Bill. In the final analysis, one cannot but conclude that the AAP leadership knew what it was doing and determined its own exit policy: It is always glamorous to play the underdog done in by powerful vested interests. But if one pauses and reflects, which is not Arvind Kejriwal’s style, there was the question of due process and respect for the law which the AAP tried to bulldoze its bill through, despite Najeeb Jung pointing out that under the 1991 act that gave Delhi quasi-statehood, a bill of this kind needed to be placed before him first. What followed was predictable, though the dramatis personae apparently seemed shocked and surprised. The Jan Lokpal Bill was ultimately held back, but only because the BJP and Congress impressed upon the speaker that as the custodian of the assembly, he could not disregard the Lt Governor’s letter and role. Arvind Kejriwal clearly hopes to leverage this “ my way or highway” moment into Lok Sabha success. But when it enters the bigger stage, AAP will realise that trademark irreverence will not take it too far, and the party will be judged not only by what it preaches but also by its practice. The party for a new kid on the block has embarrassing and irresponsible baggage that it carries. And in its shortlived stint, even when the party will claim credit for the subsidies in water and power, FIRs against powerful politicians on allegations of corruption, and the still-born Lokpal and Swaraj Bills. But each of these missions have had severe constraints inbuilt into them. A genuine cleansing process and the need to build on reform is not predicated on hyper anxiety and either unwillingness or inability to reach out to the roots. As has been very cogently asserted before as well, on water and power, for all its pro-poor claims, it chose to go on a subsidy spree for the middle class. On corruption, it failed to move towards instituting transparent processes. Glamorous stings that can be showcased proved too tempting for the precocious kid. Most troublingly of it all, Somnath Bharti’s almost fascist ways and moral policing, and the AAP’s insistent and self-righteous defence of it, showed up Kejriwal’s disregard for basics. Instead of tilting the state towards becoming more accountable and non-arbitrary in various areas, the AAP simply tilted at the windmills. Those who disagreed, like former diplomat and founder member Madhu Bhaduri or activist Anjali Bharadwaj—they found themselves on the wrong side of Kejriwal. Populism and cheap theatrics and an irresponsible streak that has shown up are not signs of a political thoroughbred. What has shown up in the end suggests that the AAP is perched on a steep learning curve.
Posted on: Mon, 17 Feb 2014 15:47:45 +0000
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