As a keen supporter of the Aam Aadmi Party their debacle in the Lok Sabha polls and the subsequent internal meltdown has been heartbreaking. However, the raison de etre for the AAP to exist in the first place is still around. The euphoria of the BJP's victory has silenced some of the cacophony that was building up during the twilight days of the UPA against corruption and institutionalized poor governance. However as the BJP will find out in the next few weeks and months a behemoth is not so easy to turn around and control. Rapes in UP, power outages in Delhi and a media baying for your blood can unnerve even the strongest amongst us.
In my view the AAP made two crucial mistakes. One, that they gave up the state government in Delhi too easily. Many of us, including me, thought that their resignation would garner more support for them. It did indeed do so in the short term but the rise of the BJP blew them out of the water. They came to be seen as churlish and immature as they clamored against the Lt. Governor and the courts. Two, the decision to contest so many Lok Sabha seats was bizarre. The AAP leadership (and I suspect it was the persona of Arvind Kejriwal) got carried away by the myth of their own invulnerability. The role of giant killer that led Kejriwal to contest the Varanasi seat compounded the problem as it sucked up precious resources from the rest of the election. Subsequently the bickering between Shazia Ilmi, Yogendra Yadav and Manish Sisodia has added to their woes. Kejriwal's imprisonment due to his refusal to put up bail and his subsequent capitulation has made him a figure of fun. Lately, their petulance against the BJP with respect to the power crisis in Delhi is seen as counterproductive and not adding value in a serious crisis.
The real question is what next? As I see it, the fledgling party needs to reclaim its roots. As a first step, they need to focus back on Delhi in a constructive way. The few Lok Sabha members that they have can continue to perform their duties but cannot be the focus of the party at this stage. Under no circumstances should they accept support from the Congress to form a Government in Delhi - that would be a complete disaster. They have to find new ways and issues to connect with Delhi residents in the run up to fresh elections. Corruption is old hat. Most people believe, however unrealistically, that Mr. Modi will cleanse the body politic by waving a magic wand. Anyone who rails against this oversimplification will be disregarded and ridiculed. Poor governance is also a non-issue now. So what should the AAP be doing and how should they craft their strategy? Their main strength was a genuine simplicity, sincerity and willingness to connect with real people at a grass root level. To solve real life problems for real people. They are not good at a broad statesman like speeches that Mr. Modi is good at or even massive, dreamlike schemes like Mr. Rahul Gandhi. For the AAP to succeed and build back its credibility they need to focus on Mohalla issues that impact the common man: cleanliness, drains, roads, reliable water and electricity, safety and security of honest, simple folk. This is what gave them their mandate and it is this and only this that can win them the people's approbation again.
Check out my book 'Journey to the Hills and other Stories' for a dose of midsummer nostalgia....
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In my view the AAP made two crucial mistakes. One, that they gave up the state government in Delhi too easily. Many of us, including me, thought that their resignation would garner more support for them. It did indeed do so in the short term but the rise of the BJP blew them out of the water. They came to be seen as churlish and immature as they clamored against the Lt. Governor and the courts. Two, the decision to contest so many Lok Sabha seats was bizarre. The AAP leadership (and I suspect it was the persona of Arvind Kejriwal) got carried away by the myth of their own invulnerability. The role of giant killer that led Kejriwal to contest the Varanasi seat compounded the problem as it sucked up precious resources from the rest of the election. Subsequently the bickering between Shazia Ilmi, Yogendra Yadav and Manish Sisodia has added to their woes. Kejriwal's imprisonment due to his refusal to put up bail and his subsequent capitulation has made him a figure of fun. Lately, their petulance against the BJP with respect to the power crisis in Delhi is seen as counterproductive and not adding value in a serious crisis.
The real question is what next? As I see it, the fledgling party needs to reclaim its roots. As a first step, they need to focus back on Delhi in a constructive way. The few Lok Sabha members that they have can continue to perform their duties but cannot be the focus of the party at this stage. Under no circumstances should they accept support from the Congress to form a Government in Delhi - that would be a complete disaster. They have to find new ways and issues to connect with Delhi residents in the run up to fresh elections. Corruption is old hat. Most people believe, however unrealistically, that Mr. Modi will cleanse the body politic by waving a magic wand. Anyone who rails against this oversimplification will be disregarded and ridiculed. Poor governance is also a non-issue now. So what should the AAP be doing and how should they craft their strategy? Their main strength was a genuine simplicity, sincerity and willingness to connect with real people at a grass root level. To solve real life problems for real people. They are not good at a broad statesman like speeches that Mr. Modi is good at or even massive, dreamlike schemes like Mr. Rahul Gandhi. For the AAP to succeed and build back its credibility they need to focus on Mohalla issues that impact the common man: cleanliness, drains, roads, reliable water and electricity, safety and security of honest, simple folk. This is what gave them their mandate and it is this and only this that can win them the people's approbation again.
Check out my book 'Journey to the Hills and other Stories' for a dose of midsummer nostalgia....
Amazon Facebook
