Kejriwal to blame for AAP’s travails
By Amulya Ganguli
Perhaps unwittingly, Yogendra Yadav let out the secret behind the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) internal turmoil by saying that he thought “such things” happened only in the Congress, BJP and other parties. It is this belief that the AAP comprised a special brand of individuals which is at the root of its problems. The same idea guided the communists in their early days when they presumed that their ideology had given birth to a “new man” who was free of the vices of others.
Just as the comrades have been disillusioned, so have many of the AAP’s followers and some of its members by the latest turn of events. As is known, their disenchantment started not long after the party’s formation when several of those associated with it began to distance themselves from it. They included Capt G.R. Gopinath, Shanti Bhushan, Santosh Hegde and Shazia Ilmi. Now, with the party involved in one of the worst examples of internal squabbles seen in Indian politics, not only will some more of its admirers drift away, as Medha Patkar has done, but the outfit is in serious danger of alienating its support base.
Considering that this base is made up of the fickle middle class, who are enthused and disillusioned with the same rapidity, they are unlikely to stick with the AAP as it experiences the familiar throes of ugly spats and ruptures which have been seen in nearly all the parties.
The difference with the AAP is that these upheavals have happened much too soon. What this rapid degeneration suggests is that the party members harbour an intensity of distrust of fellow comrades and a level of megalomania which is much stronger than similar traits in any other organization. There is little doubt that behind these inflated egos and mutual animosity is the belief in their exceptional characters. This conviction was initially camouflaged by a false display of modesty. But, once the reality of power came within grasp, it was no longer possible for them to hide their real selves.
As a result, neither could Arvind Kejriwal continue to pretend that he does not believe in the Congress’s high command culture, or for Yogendra Yadav to act as if he is the disinterested theorizer who doesn’t dabble in party politics. The fallout of these revelations of their true selves will be that, first, the self-righteousness which permeates the rank and file will be punctured. And, secondly, the party will no longer be able to pretend that it will fulfill the promise of ruling for five years in Delhi.
As it is, its ability to govern has come under question from the garbage-strewn streets in east Delhi because of a strike by the municipal employees over the non-payment of salaries. The AAP has sought to pass the buck by saying that the municipalities are run by the BJP, but its inability to work in cooperation with other parties is again in evidence.
Till now, the AAP has had to contend only with rival parties. But, it will have to deal with the ousted rebels as well when they set up their own outfit. Since the latter will be privy to the AAP’s way of functioning, the skirmishes between the two groups will be grist to the rumour mills, damaging the prospects of both.
Any hope that the AAP may have had of spreading its wings by contesting municipal elections in Mumbai and Bengaluru and setting up bases in Haryana will now be dashed, for the days when the party was looked upon as the shining white hope of Indian politics are over.
In Delhi, the BJP will be the main beneficiary. Its unexpected electoral reverses were apparently the result of dwindling faith Narendra Modi’s ability to revive the economy and control the hardliners in the saffron brotherhood. But, the AAP’s virtual disintegration means that the BJP has re-emerged as the only alternative as in 2013 when it was the first party.
If any one person has to be singled out for the AAP’s travails, it has to be Kejriwal. There was a telling incident during Anna Hazare’s hunger strike in Delhi when the CPI’s A.B. Bardhan had reminded the then India Against Corruption operative not to regard himself as the repository of all wisdom.
From that period when Anna called him “power hungry” to Shanti Bhushan saying just before the Delhi elections that Kejriwal had “abandoned all principles of inner-party democracy” to Admiral L. Ramdas complaining about two groups emerging in the party (Ramdas has since been removed from his position as the internal Lokpal), Kejriwal had been acting more like a factional leader than the party’s head who was capable of holding the organization together.
That his main adversaries will be Yadav and Prashant Bhushan is not surprising since these are the only two who can match his oratorical prowess and mental dexterity although not his popular appeal even if this will now be a diminishing asset after the internal upheaval.
Although Yadav and Prashant Bhushan may not have it in them to make a success of whatever new venture they start, Kejriwal will continue to be haunted by his dictatorial image. (IPA Service)