The writer is an independent journalist based in New Delhi and writes for several Indian newspapers
The astonishing rise and equally calamitous fall of India’s Aam Admi Party (AAP) in recent months has been the subject of diminishing conversation, in inverse proportion, to the incredible hype that surrounds the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi.
Since AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal abandoned the ‘maidan-e-jung’, that was Delhi ostensibly, because he couldn’t get his beloved Lokpal Bill, or a Bill for a national Ombudsman, passed during his 49 days in power in the Indian capital this January, the spirit seems to have somewhat ebbed from the party. Or, to put it another way, there is so much more criticism about the AAP’s politics, strategies and personalities in the media these days that Kejriwal himself has taken to taunting the messenger, accusing it openly of a pro-Modi bias and promising it a comeuppance sooner than later.
Kejriwal’s accusations must be examined carefully, despite the fact that he has only made them after falling relatively out of favour with the media. When the honeymoon was on, neither side could do anything wrong. The media basked in the glow of a self-determined campaign for the so-called truth, while Kejriwal and the AAP wiped the floor with former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit and the Congress party.
Interestingly, the AAP had already given tickets to fight the elections to interesting people who have made a name for themselves in ‘trying to change the system’. There is Medha Patkar, who has fought against big dams all her life, especially the Narmadasagar Dam in Gujarat, now fighting from Mumbai on an AAP ticket. Soni Sori, who was raped and beaten by security forces in Chhatisgarh for protesting against the pro-state vigilante armies crushing tribal activists, is contesting on an AAP ticket from Bastar, in the heart of tribal India. Meanwhile, Dayamani Barla, tribal rights activist from Jharkhand, who spent 69 days in jail for leading a tribal protest, is also in the electoral fray on an AAP ticket. In East Delhi, none other than Rajmohan Gandhi, grandson of the Mahatma and the author of several history books, is contesting on an AAP ticket.
Certainly, the AAP will win a few seats here and there; the truth is that it has been hurt very badly by its whimsical decision to abandon Delhi, thereby exposing the fickleness of its political determination. In contrast, Narendra Modi is being manoeuvred onto centre stage by an enormous media campaign across radio, print and television in all the 14 official Indian languages that is, naturally, being underwritten by Big Business.
Modi, Modi, Modi. Har Har Mahadev/Har Har Modi. The Modifesto instead of the BJP Manifesto. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the mother-lode from which spring outfits like the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal as well as the BJP, is believed to be charting out the campaign trail for Modi for the remainder of this election.
Kejriwal says he will do to Varanasi what he did to Delhi, which is unleash its energies. He points out, not wrongly, that if Modi wins both from Varanasi and Vadodara, his seat in Gujarat, he will abandon Varanasi for his home state. Then what will the people of Varanasi do? But the argument isn’t enough to derail the Modi juggernaut.
Enter Ajay Rai, a former muscleman or ‘bahubali’ who has also been a member of several political parties in the past, including the Samajwadi Party and the BJP itself, the latter not once but thrice. He will now fight for the Congress, under the blessings of none other than ‘Beti Priyanka,’ as the rest of Uttar Pradesh refers to Sonia Gandhi’s daughter and Rahul’s sister.
The battle royale is hotting up. The mistake would be to hang everything on the Varanasi contest. On the other hand, however much you would wish it otherwise, neither the AAP nor the pro-Dalit party, the Bahujan Samaj Party, are likely to displace the larger-than-life presence of Narendra Modi across the Indian chessboard.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 16th, 2014.
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COMMENTS (12)
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I think the only value AAP has brought is a check and balance party. They are good at making noises so that would keep a check on other parties. Other than that, AAP does not hold any qualification to hold any office at all. Lokpal bill was the only trump card they had which they played.
AAP is a good experiment and should continue. I will not vote for them for this LS election, but I would like them to form governments in few states and complete 5 year term. Only after proving themselves at state level they should expect to win at national level. They showed some haste this time due to inexperience, better luck next time.
Abki bar Modi sarkar
Only accusing other political parties will not get you votes as AAP is seen incapable to run even a municipality for even two months. AAP had to abandon the experiment as they soon realised it is impossible to fulfill the promises given at the time of election. Experience in protests, dharnas and commuting in public transport (causing hazard and inconvenience to public) are only gimmicks and not good for running a country. There is not a single leader AAP has which has any experience and caliber on a national level. I wonder how many people will be moved by candidates having qualification like one was raped, one who was in jail and one who was protesting against big dams. All said and done, Modi at least run the administration of a major state in India successfully for 12 years.
@Lalit,@Sameer- If latest opinion/exit polls are anything to go by, Fordriwal is heading for a complete rout in all of 7 Delhi LS seats and let's not even talk about rest of the country. I am not sure what kind of world do AAPturds live in.
Arvind kejriwal is the only man fighting against the corrupt congress and bjp. He has won the hearts of millions of Indians all over India and abroad. Both congress and bjp are playing dirty politics and media is supporting them shamelessly. They are spreading negative news of AAP and degrading AAP in opinion polls. People have now subscribed to the fb pages of Arvind kejriwal and Aam aadmi party to know the other side of the story. They have installed Apps of the party in their mobile phones to know the truth. People do not want corrupt and criminal people to enter the parliement and rule our country......
@Feroz: You are absolutely correct. But that begs the question - who did not want to give them time? The Delhi voter would have been prepared to wait 5 years before judging their performance, and even the non-Delhi voter may have voted for AAP as a responsible formation in the Lok Sabha polls if there was any such responsible behaviour to go by. AAP did not give ITSELF time; what they did is akin to announcing that they would become the world's leading Test playing side on the basis of an unexpectedly half-decent performance in a trilateral T-20 tournament where they stood second (all the while trashing the other teams instead of focusing on what they intended to do). Any expert would advise against it.
AAP is an experiment and I hope it establishes a niche for itself in the electoral space. Today voters everywhere need a good alternative to challenge the stale narrative of the status quoists. New parties will take time to establish themselves so should be given time.