Arvind Kejriwal has national ambitions

By Upendra Prasad

Thirty six hours agitation at Boat Club led by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has ended without yielding any results, yet the CM is boasting of the victory of the people of Delhi. He had announced the agitation under the false perception that under his thread the Home Ministry of Union government would at least transfer the police officers involved in wrangling with the AAP Ministers. After that he would have launched a movement to make Delhi Police subordinate to his government. Home Ministry of the Union Government was aware that it could not satisfy Kejriwal by accepting his demands of transfer of the police personnel. That is why it took strong stand of not surrendering to the pressure mounted by the agitation threatening the disruption of the Republic Day celebration on 26th January. Ultimately Kejriwal had to make a hasty retreat, when it was crystal clear that further confrontation may lead to the ouster of his Delhi government and he did not want to lose power so soon.

In fact, Mr. Kejriwal had double objectives, when he planned the agitation. The immediate objective was to ensure the punishment of the police officers and the mid term objective was to start campaigning for the next Lok Sabha elections in his own way. It is A well known fact that police all over country is unpopular among the people and any agitation against the Police gets mass support. That is why Kejriwal found it a good issue to agitate.

Aam Aadmi Party has decided to fight next Lok Sabha elections on large scale. It is organizationally not well equipped to contest such elections. But it is also true that it was not organizationally well equipped to fight the Delhi Assembly Elections as well, still many of its candidates emerged successful. Voters even did not know who were the candidates of Aam Aadmi Party in many constituencies. They knew only the name of the Party, its symbol and Kejriwal. Aam Aadmi Party won because of the issues they were raising and due to the disenchantment of people with BJP and Congress, whose leaders and workers in Delhi are almost of same nature and character.

Kejriwal wants to repeat the success of Delhi at national level just by raising the issue of people and the corruption and high handedness of police is a national issue. He was initially resenting the misbehavior of the police with his two Ministers. Later on he added the gang rape of a foreign national as one among the issues for agitation. He succeeded in his design so far as mobilization for the agitation is concerned. The sit in attracted a large number of Delhites braving the chilling cold accompanied by the rain and by sleeping on road in the open he has again boosted his image as an Aam Aadmi, though his demand could not be accepted by the Central Government.

That is why it can not be said that the agitation was a failure. It fact, the mobilization of the people has boosted the morale of AAP leaders and it may be thinking on launching the same type of agitation very soon on the issue of Jan Lokayukta of Delhi. Reduction of power tariff and waiving off of water charge are local issues of Delhi and Aam Aadmi cannot fight Lok Sabha election nationally on these issues. Corruption is a national issue of the country and AAP has emerged from the movement against corruption.

On this issue Kejriwal Government has not done, what it was expected of him. No case of corruption has been filed against the functionaries of the previous government and Delhi CM is asking people to wait for the enactment of Jan Lokayukt Act on the line of Jan Lok Pal. If Kejriwal did not go for further confrontation against the Central Government on the punishment of the Police issue, it was not because he wanted to stay as CM of Delhi to enjoy power. In fact, he would like to stay in power till he starts enacting the Jan Lokayukt Act. If he loses his power even before taking any action against the corruption of the last government, he would lose face among his supporters and sympathizers. That is why he is bound to do something or the other confirming his faith against corruption.

In fact, the last agitation was a semi final agitation launched by Kejriwal. His final agitation against the central government may take place soon on the issue of Jan Lokayukt Act. His Delhi government is not competent enough to make the Lok Ayukta Legislation. In fact, he cannot even introduce the Bill for its passage. For that he has to get the prior approval of the Central Government. According the prevailing provisions, to make such Acts Delhi government sends the Bill to the Home Ministry for the consent of the President. The Home Ministry puts the Bill to the Central Cabinet. Only after the approval by the Cabinet, the Bill is sent to the President office for his consent. After the Presidential consent, the Bill is introduced in the Delhi Assembly for its passage. Normally this process takes a lot of time and it is not certain that the central government will ensure the Presidential consent to the Bill. After becoming Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal has been made aware of this process of enactment by Delhi Assembly.

Now he is taking it for granted that the Central Government will not cooperate with his government in passing the Lok Ayukta bill. Then the only alternative before Kejriwal and his AAP remains is nothing but agitation. He must be preparing for that agitation. In fact the last agitation was just a rehearsal of that agitation.

Kejriwal knows that the days of his government are numbered and he wants to see the ouster of his government fighting against corruption. He would like to resign or to be removed on the issue of Jan Lokayukt well before the next Lok Sabha election. Winning Delhi election was not his objective. It was a means to get larger objective. So he is always ready to sacrifice his government. He has also come to know that the problems of Delhi cannot be solved by his government and he does not want to devote much time in solving them. He is in a hurry to enter into Lok Sabha fray to influence the formation of the next Central Government. Agitation on the issue of Jan Lokayukt of Delhi and sacrificing his government on that issue may give big boost to the campaign of his Aam Aadmi Party candidates during Lok Sabha election. [IPA]