The BJP probably thought they were on a strong footing when the CBI raided the Principal Secretary of Arvind Kejriwal. It was a continuation of the harassment campaign that has been going on under the auspices of Najeeb Jung. Unfortunately they have landed up with egg on their faces. Notwithstanding the merits (or demerits) of Rajender Kumar the AAP has very efficiently turned the tables on BJP's rather ham fisted shenanigans. Arun Jaitley is clearly a worthy target and there just could be some substance in the accusations that Arvind Kejriwal is making against him. Yet again the BJP has demonstrated that they suffer from acute foot in mouth disease. The sacking of Kirti Azad is virtually proof of their discomfiture at the goings on that have been unleashed. It does not help that the CBI does not seem to have found anything significant against Rajender Kumar so far. Clearly the tables have been turned with a vengeance. Jung continues to do his bit by declaring that the probe ordered by the Delhi Government is illegal. Whether it is or not the optical war has already been won by Kejriwal. That is the beauty of our media obsessed society today.
It comes as no surprise that the BJP has learnt nothing from the Bihar debacle. As I had predicted they continue to carry on as if nothing has happened. It is a measure of the party's failure to see beyond their noses that the kind of mess that has happened in Delhi continues to happen with alarming regularity. The party badly needs clear headed, logical and strategic thinkers.
Meanwhile the AAP continues to make steady progress. The odd even rule for cars in Delhi is a masterstroke. It is important to realise that Delhi's pollution is nothing short of a crisis and there is no room for half measures. There is also no time for long term steps however important they are to the city in the future. In the circumstances the idea of reducing the number of cars on the road is indeed a very good one. Naysayers such as the all time dolt Suhel Seth notwithstanding one can see a strong rally behind the AAP's program as the time approaches. Even the politically astute Police Commissioner has seen the way the wind is blowing and has half heartedly stepped into line. I suppose he realises that if the idea fails he will be the first to be blamed.
Outside Delhi the news from Punjab is looking all the better for the AAP. Clearly the public is really disillusioned with the SAD/BJP combine and the Congress does not seem to offer much of an alternative. Fertile ground for the AAP and they are exploiting it in the best possible way.
All in all the fledgling political party needs to be congratulated. They have withstood the 'slings and arrows of outrageous fortune' fairly well so far and appear poised to gain in strength. Every attack by fat cats such as Arnab Goswami (who by now seems to be angling for a ministerial berth in the BJP Government such is his devotion to their cause) only serves to cement their love affair with the real Aam Aadmi. Long may it last and hopefully they will achieve some real change in the body politic in the months to come.
It comes as no surprise that the BJP has learnt nothing from the Bihar debacle. As I had predicted they continue to carry on as if nothing has happened. It is a measure of the party's failure to see beyond their noses that the kind of mess that has happened in Delhi continues to happen with alarming regularity. The party badly needs clear headed, logical and strategic thinkers.
Meanwhile the AAP continues to make steady progress. The odd even rule for cars in Delhi is a masterstroke. It is important to realise that Delhi's pollution is nothing short of a crisis and there is no room for half measures. There is also no time for long term steps however important they are to the city in the future. In the circumstances the idea of reducing the number of cars on the road is indeed a very good one. Naysayers such as the all time dolt Suhel Seth notwithstanding one can see a strong rally behind the AAP's program as the time approaches. Even the politically astute Police Commissioner has seen the way the wind is blowing and has half heartedly stepped into line. I suppose he realises that if the idea fails he will be the first to be blamed.
Outside Delhi the news from Punjab is looking all the better for the AAP. Clearly the public is really disillusioned with the SAD/BJP combine and the Congress does not seem to offer much of an alternative. Fertile ground for the AAP and they are exploiting it in the best possible way.
All in all the fledgling political party needs to be congratulated. They have withstood the 'slings and arrows of outrageous fortune' fairly well so far and appear poised to gain in strength. Every attack by fat cats such as Arnab Goswami (who by now seems to be angling for a ministerial berth in the BJP Government such is his devotion to their cause) only serves to cement their love affair with the real Aam Aadmi. Long may it last and hopefully they will achieve some real change in the body politic in the months to come.
Debu - Compliments on a well written piece. There are the elite who revel in trashing a good thing in the hope that their contrarian views somehow establish their elitism and erudition, and there are those who view things with an unbiased perspective and have an opinion that they share openly without worrying which way the wind blows. While all indications including those born of the global initiatives and image being cultivated by PM Modi are positive, I do believe there is a large bushel of truth in what you say about BJPs stance against AAP. The vindictive nature of actions such as the CBI raid, or the venom unfoundedly spewed at AAP initiatives such as the odd-even car pollution control, are telling. They tell the story of an arrogance that is unwarranted, of intolerance that goes against the basic tenets of the BJP, of pettiness beneath the stature of PM Modi and last but not the least of a paucity of ideas to combat a worthy opponent!
ReplyDeleteThanks. Time that we all realised that our political discourse has become cynical, flawed and counter productive. There are times that we need to rise above pettiness and put the people first. India would be the better for it.
DeleteYour point about BJP not learning anything from Bihar is valid. As to AAP - there is a vacuum in opposition space and AAP had the potential to fill it but my personal feeling is that it is not doing a good job at this.
ReplyDeleteI think it's important to have realistic expectations vis a vis the AAP. As of now they have the state government in one of the tiniest states around and virtually no presence in the Lok Sabha. They have not focused (correctly in my view) on other states as they just do not have the bandwith to do so. Punjab is an exception due to political developments in the state. Realistically, therefore, the AAP is in no position to take any kind of national leadership role in the near future. They can play a support role in case a viable opposition to the BJP emerges as time goes along but that's about it.
DeletePolitics is easy running a government is tough. You guys are missing the elephant in the room. The rut is owing to a lack of technocrats and intellectual capital across political parties. So even an AAP will peak out very soon.
ReplyDeletePerhaps. Politics does not attract good people and that's a fact. The AAP is an outlier. Unlike the other parties. One can only hope that they get a chance to perform.
DeleteFinally a view that I find resonance with. I however feel that Kejriwal must tone down the theatrics. He could have still taken the same steps but minus the language and aggressive style. It just helps the media to distract from the core issue raised. I have been a supporter of BJP and AAP, and still am. There are always things that one can disagree with but what I find absolutely appalling and confusing is how most of our "educated" middle class supports BJP to the level of sycophancy
ReplyDeleteThere are very few of us left! The middle class has largely deserted Kejriwal as they are repelled by his language and tactics. Perhaps he is bit high on theatrics but that's the language which the westernised media understand. Thanks for your post. May or tribe increase.
DeleteGood one Debu.
ReplyDeleteThanks. It's becoming increasingly difficult to defend Kejriwal as the middle class who are the main readers of this blog have all become BJP fans :( the love affair will not last long however!
DeleteThanks. It's becoming increasingly difficult to defend Kejriwal as the middle class who are the main readers of this blog have all become BJP fans :( the love affair will not last long however!
DeleteMost middle class service/salary based individual will side with anyone providing sustainable jobs, basic Infra, ease in interacting with government etc. And it's a fact, that with bjp coming to power and a confluence of other factor, the risk of job losses have lessened. Some of the policies under implementation (not all of them because of bjp) are really good. And I completely trash the "intolerance" arguments. And if I'm not mistaken, next three years, "the dear leader" (borrowing a term from North Korea) will spend less time internationally, and may see lot of domestic activities. So I'm not surprised why I like many others like bjp. And if it falters we will switch. Which begs the other question - back to Congress, but is that a credible alternative? It's nightmarish with Rahul Gandhi as PM. So BJP has to just play it's card right next three years. Aap's theatrics, siding with Lalu, Malaya and Congress makes it seem Kejriwal is brain dead.
ReplyDeleteThat's a fairly pessimistic outlook. Hopefully a credible alternative will develop to the BJP. If that happens there will be a check on their activities even if their opponents do not actually win.
DeleteThat's a fairly pessimistic outlook. Hopefully a credible alternative will develop to the BJP. If that happens there will be a check on their activities even if their opponents do not actually win.
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