The leader of a new political party that caused a great deal of sensation by taking a pro-people stance, has resigned as the chief minister of Delhi, failing to fulfil his electoral pledge. Arvind Kejriwal lasted for only 49 days as the chief minister of the small but important state as his government was unable to pass a legislation that would help curb corruption. Two main Indian national-level political parties -- the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) -- opposed the bill and the Aam Admi Party (APP) chose to step down from power in the state government. This has been one of the most talked about development in the Indian political history, considering both the stunning emergence of the new party to power and its resignation from the helm of the Delhi state.
The less-than-a-year-old APP formed the government in the Delhi, defeating the established big political organisations and earned praise for some of its people-oriented commendable actions. But the government of the new party also rattled a few features, raising controversy at home and abroad about its style of governance. It resorted to some dramatic steps like the chief minister himself demonstrating before the federal police headquarters, charging that the police would need to be drastically overhauled for ensuring a corruption-free administration. It also took decisions about the power tariff and transportation fares that largely helped the common people. But finally, it resigned as other parties blocked the anti-graft bill in the state assembly that it had wanted to pass for the greater benefits of the common people. Its tendency of moving in a haste to implement the mass-oriented programme was disliked by many, but the bottom line was that the new government showed sincerity and zeal that were never seen before.
When APP formed the Delhi government, many rubbed their eyes in utter disbelief. The reason was obvious. How could such a new organisation, having virtually no knowledge about politics, make such a stunning record? Yes, this has been a record, indeed, in the sense that -- "Aam Admi Party" (the party of common man) made a dent in strength and power of the ruling Congress and the main opposition BJP in the polls. The Congress was dethroned from power and its number of seats was reduced to a mere eight in the 70-member house of the state of Delhi. The BJP gained and emerged as the largest group with 32 seats, but fell short of the required number of seats to form the government. The offer for forming the new government then came to the APP, which bagged 28 seats, surpassing all predictions.
Party chief Arvind Kejriwal did not immediately jump to form the government, which was itself markedly a notable aspect of India's political power matrix at different levels. Instead, he took time to assess for itself whether the electorate would welcome his government even though his party could not secure an absolute majority.
He was convinced that the people wanted him to form the new government since they were disenchanted with the two major political parties and looked for a change. Arvind Kejriwal took his oath as the chief minister travelling in a metro and jettisoned several facilities that are otherwise available for a person of that position.
He beat Congress chief minister Sheila Dixit in the election convincingly, making his electoral debut against the seasoned and two-time chief minister. It was all possible because the APP emerged in the political scene of the country with a promise of making every effort to curb corruption, particularly at the higher echelons of power. It promised to give the maximum of facilities from the government to the common people, who are mired in myriad problems. The APP said the woes of the masses know no bounds and hence is the need for a government for the "Aam Admi" who are the common people. The first decision of Kejriwal's government was aimed at making free delivery of drinking water to the people with a kind of ceiling. All these heralded something new in India.
Although, the leftists did near-similar things in states like Kerala and West Bengal before, the APP caused a storm in the corruption-ridden Indian political milieu in its typical conventional way. Earlier, elderly Gandhian Anna Hazare caused a stir in India by launching an anti-graft movement that drew the attention of the common people of India to the perilous state of affairs about their country's governance. He called for drastic laws to eradicate corruption, but the Congress-led coalition government did its usual foot-dragging. However, the laws were finally enacted by the federal parliament.
Arvind Kejriwal, a former income tax inspector, was one of the close associates of Hazare, who is keen about maintaining a non-political character of his movement. But Arvind and some others felt that it was difficult to implement the programmes that they were espousing unless political support was available. So, they decided to float a political party that made its debut in the electoral race of the important state of Delhi with an instant success. Now, they would seek to expand their political arena with eyes fixed on the national elections, scheduled for April/May this year. It is understandable that the task is difficult for a new party, but the APP is moving in that direction.
The chief minister of Delhi, sensing that his government would be unable to pass the anti-graft bill in the state assembly, resigned and showed that he had no intention of clinging himself onto power when he was not in a possible to deliver what he had promised. Now, if new elections take place in Delhi, most political analysts believe that the APP is likely to secure for itself enough number of seats that would help it enact laws that it wants to put in place. However, future developments are quite important in this regard. This is not the end of the APP even though many would like to see this as its big setback, as the party says it would continue its "mission" to rid the society and politics of corruption and power-hungry politicians. The task is daunting, but it remains to be seen how the party advances in the future. Â
zaglulbss@yahoo.com
Is it the ‘death of a dream’ for the pro-people Indian political party?
Zaglul Ahmed Chowdhury | Published: February 16, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2024 06:01:00
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