Sunday, December 15, 2013

Pride and Tragedy of being Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)

No one expected that they would come that far when they accepted a challenge from established political leaders full of arrogance and power to fight elections and that too from heart of India, Delhi. Everyone from political analysts to ever debating journalists kept them on sidelines till the time they could. Questions ranging from funds required to fight elections, issues and vision to run a government, ability to turn sentiments into votes to finding right candidates for seventy constituencies kept arising and they kept dealing with one by one in their own style of truth and honesty. They were Aam Aadmi Party or in simple worlds AAP.

If they became first to show details of all the funds received on their websites, they also became first to stop its followers for further donations. They were first to form different manifestos for all the constituencies in consultation with the people. Their campaigning on roads of delhi, on social media, or asking people from all India to call the people of delhi to vote for AAP was all a work of brilliant team work. While they were busy twenty four hours building their credibility in the heart of common man, politicians around were busy criticizing them wholeheartedly in their traditional Illogical way and ever debating TV journalists along with political analysts were trying their best not to give ears to that noise of change and showing it in true colors. Where AAP spokesperson kept replying every illogical statement of other parties’ spokespersons, their volunteers from across the country and abroad kept coming forward in their support.

On the day of final verdict, people of delhi gave a historic judgment and AAP emerged as second largest party winning 28 seats with BJP the largest one winning 32 seats leaving the ruling congress in single digit number of 8 seats. But what followed that historic and miraculous result left a sour taste what could have been the sweetest sight for democracy. First almost all applaud AAP’s efforts which resulted in a magic win and few who were doubtful of their successfully fighting of elections started their second round of doubts on their skills of running government now and after that started the actual politics.

But what was disheartening to see for those who were expecting a new start in Indian politics, was perhaps AAP’s slow fall into a trap made of their own ideological words and a start of showing traits of whom they were fighting against. Arrogant has started showing up. Logics behind arguments have started fading away. Criticism has changed its target from ideology to party. Too much idealism seems to diverting solutions away.

BJP refused to form a Govt as they were short of numbers and there wasn’t any feasibility to get support from either of Congress or AAP. But this time AAP gave an illogical statement asking BJP if they won’t form a Govt at center if they will be short of 272. There will be obvious options to get support from so many regional parties at center and who will engage in horsetrading or buy MLA’s as per AAP’s statement, when everyone is watching them in Delhi.

Then an unconditional support (A support to complete numbers and letting government execute their agendas) came for AAP from congress and again a statement from AAP that they will stick to their prepoll stand about all others being thieves and neither they will accept any support nor will lend theirs. On one side AAP had said they were ready to dissolve their party and will not fight elections if Congress pass their five major agendas including Jan Lokpal bill, right to reject and right to recall on other side if congress is giving full support they are refusing to form the government. Even if congress in future doesn’t support them in passing the said bills, AAP can easily dissolve assembly and in that case at the time of re-election who knows eight congress may go to AAP making them a party with full majority.

Then came support from BJP as well who will be sitting in opposition in case AAP form a government with congress, which is a bonus if we see an opposition giving a constructive support to a party which is going to govern.

But AAP came this time with eighteen conditions which includes bills they want to pass and other actions they want to take for the betterment of Delhi. If the party who is giving unconditional support or the one with constructive support oppose for the bills in the assembly,  they can dissolve the assembly and do a better campaign for majority in elections. For other agendas in the list of conditions, they do not need any support from the assembly, infact these are decision to be taken by CM or his cabinet.

Perhaps its long campaign of AAP projecting both BJP and Congress corrupt as a whole which is halting their further thought process. Originally they were against bad practices in the politics by both the major parties but now they are against parties itself even if they are bending themselves for the larger interest of the state. Even if it is not the real interest, it is avoiding elections for the time being and will show their true colors if they will not allow AAP to function or pass the bills in assembly. But neither congress look fool enough that after losing in four states they will cause any kind of hindrance in the process of good governance by AAP nor BJP look unaware of news hungry media or open eyed public that they will risk their national interest by causing any troubles to AAP. If it delhi comes to elections again because of non co-operation from either of congress or BJP, AAP will be an obvious gainer.

In the recent developments in the case of Jan Lokpal Bill where Anna Hazare is satisfied with Lokpall bill proposed by select committee but considered weak by AAP and as per AAP’s statement, once a teacher and mentor Anna Hazare seems to be misguided by opposition. Its strange to think a mentor who didn’t get convinced by his team members to be with them for their election efforts can be misguided by political parties he was fighting against.

BJP in its statement has highlighted a couple of clauses amended by congress in select committee’s recommendations and same AAP is crying about. But instead of coming along and getting that portion strong, they are refusing whole bill terming it as Jokepal.

Calling anything against ownself a conspiracy, terming all others bad and ownself clean, not coming along with oppositions even for the national interest are few traits of traditional Indian politics these days and AAP seems to follow the same footsteps now as they want re-elections in delhi and force common man to shift sides this time. But in the whole process, it is hope of Aam Aadmi that’s getting deluted once again. That common man still don’t know when the sun will rise.
SimplyArsh