Kejriwal, the Delhi Election’s Man of the Match
The much awaited Delhi Elections are over and the results
are awaited in a few hours from now. The exit polls indicate that it will be an
AAP sweep. The 10th afternoon will tell us what the final score is.
But, whoever wins, the man of the match of the elections is
Arvind Kejriwal.
Is the AAP brand of politics good?
No, the last time it was in power, it was anarchy every day.
AAP made more headlines for the wrong reasons than the right reasons in the 49
days of power. Every day was a comedy being played out on national media.
An AAP win would not possibly augur well for India.
India is still to recover from 10 years of ineffective
national leadership. From a government that pushed India out of the global
economic map, from an administration that was tainted by a new scam a day, from
a government that effectively stalled the growth of the Indian economy.
India needs to strong centre that can push the growth agenda
quite ruthlessly and move India out of the morass it is in. And, AAP could
prove to be the first stumbling block in the NaMo agenda of growth.
But, this story is not about Modi, it is about Kejriwal.
If Kejriwal wins the election, he would have done the
unthinkable. Much like what India did to West Indies in the 1983 world cup, make
the impossible possible.
So, what makes the mufflerman the unlikely hero?
First things first, for showing the courage and the spunk to
take on NaMo in the capital city, at the peak of his popularity. Many an
ordinary politician would have thrown in the towel, but not Arvind.
Second, for a MODIfied election campaign in Delhi. Gone was
the story of the broom and AAP. As early as September, the bus shelters of
Delhi spoke about Kejriwal as CM. Paanch Saal Kejriwal, an excellent copy of Ab
Ki Baar Modi Sarkaar was unleashed on Delhi and BJP, the power of which the
media took time to understand.
Third, for making BJP change its course. Coming soon after the
Maharashtra, Haryana elections, it looked as if nothing could stop the Amit
Shah , Narendra Modi combination. Throw in a powerful message of development,
the oratory skills of NaMo and the organizational skills of Amit Shah, the
heady concoction was a winner. What the mufflerman did with the citizens of
Delhi, one does not know, but BJP lost its sense of direction very quickly. It
did all the things it had not done in the previous elections. Bringing in Kiran
Bedi made the mufflerman suddenly loom larger than life.
Fourth, for making BJP focus on irrelevant topics during the
election. BJP had many things going for it – the soaring sensex, the successful
Obama visit, a falling inflation rate and a general euphoria about NaMO. But,
what did BJP end up talking about – money laundering by AAP, sexist remarks of Kumar Vishwas. Sheer brilliance on part of AAP
led BJP to play the local Delhi game, a game that it was not adept at.
In just a span of two years, Arvind Kejriwal has done what
many seasoned politicians like Laloo Yadav, Sharad Pawar, Sonia Gandhi, Mamata
Banerjee could not do. Stop the Modi Juggernaut or at least make it look possible.
This time though, if he wins, pray that he does not run away like the last time.
Because, as spiderman says, with great power comes great
responsibility.
Hope the man of the match understands the responsibility that
comes with the power.
PS - these views are personal
