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| Feasting on the rivals' mistakes | | | Atul K Thakur | 2/18/2015 10:29:17 PM |
| The Aam Aadmi Party has benefitted from its extensive grassroots campaign as it has done from the blunders of the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party. If these national parties don't change, Delhi will remain out of bounds
The rise, fall and rise of the Aam Aadmi Party is
clearly a confirmation of the party's people-connect.
However, at the delivery front, now its leadership has to be flexible with the issues, as 'corruption' is only one of those problems that frustrates most of the favourable constituencies for this new party in action. Other things are related to basic needs and aspirations. Thus, unemployment and inequality have to be the main targets of governance reforms.
That way, the promised 'good times' can be really achieved. As a national entity, the Bharatiya Janata Party is rather big. It exuded diversity until recently.
Alas, things are no longer the same for it. As discussed at length after the poll verdict, the debacle of the BJP in Delhi happened partly from the last moment change in leadership in the State - bestowing of faith by the party in Ms Kiran Bedi, whose credentials as a public persona have been in question for many reasons accounting for the distant and recent past. By bringing her in, the BJP lost a chance to rely on its natural leadership that has evolved over the years through struggle against a hitherto strong Congress that was pervasive in State for over 15 years in uninterrupted succession until December 2013. Moreover, the AAP as a party has marked its presence in the election in unprecedented way. Its success confirms that Indian democracy is mature and capable of absorbing new ideas and actions on ground.
The AAP's real test lies ahead. For now, this party has boosted the morale of Indian democracy. Those who deny the fact are only gravely misleading themselves. The rising aspirations of the Indian voters are shaping the political discourse and the action of the day.
Thus, 'anti-incumbency' is now a stronger factor than it was a few years ago. Now, elections are no longer being majorly shaped through the 'art of persuasion' - people more or less give their verdict based on the fulfillment of promises the political functionaries make in the run-up to the polls. The rise of technology and, subsequently, the strengthening of new media networks, have raised citizen-consciousness to a new height. There have been dramatic and quick shifts thereafter in the emphasis of voters for or against one party. For instance, it is a fit case of study as to how the BJP rose and fell in esteem in a matter of the last nine months in Delhi. Many experts believe that the result could have been different had an Assembly election in the State been held just four months ago. The BJP was sitting pretty then.
During the Lok Sabha poll, these factors were in sync with the BJP. The Congress stayed off course then, as it did now, hence its oblivion is much more than a matter of fact. It is in the grip of a grave existential crisis as it loses one election after another. The voters are restless as never before - somewhere, this confirms the nature of politics being changed for good.
A clear majority to the BJP was directly linked to the people's hopelessness with the second term of the UPA Government at the Centre - if interpreted technically, the mandate was positive. Any sign of mismatch in outcomes wouldn't take time to correct in mood swings of the electorate - the mandate of the Delhi elections signified this phenomenon very candidly.
The aam aadmi is on the rise across political spectrums. After the sharp decline of the Left parties, there was a vacuum to be filled; the regional parties have failed to do so with their overt dynastic hangovers. Surprisingly, the AAP stepped into that arena with undefined ideological preferences and unclear agendas. But it has an edge so long as it manifests the people's populist will. As of now, no major serious issues have been discussed at party forum or in the newly-formed Government. But the AAP regime has to deal with the issues of governance and developmental factors, and there it has to rely on conventional wisdom too.
However, the wish is that the aam aadmi gets treatment through developmental interventions rather by slogans. In doing so, the Aam Aadmi Party will succeed creating a pro-development image. In a multi-party democracy like India, there has always been space for an unconventional political group like the AAP, so long as it bridges the gap between promises made and kept. With a short past, the AAP has a better stake in the future. Besides for the AAP's good show and the BJP's pathetic performance, the Delhi election will be recalled for the complete rejection of the Congress.
Its top-rung leadership is sadly still engrossed in the old-school behaviour of negating popular sentiments in a bid to carry forward the spineless arguments. The sharpest fall of the Congress has coincidentally happened with the aam aadmi's rise. This is anything but normal. Alas, 10 Janpath is still in hibernation, failing to accept the truth.
( Courtesy@daily pioneer.com) |
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