New Delhi
The fresh words of encouragement or moral booster for Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has come from a surprising quarter Nagaland --- the hilly state cradled in the wilds of northeast India.
Paradoxically, the AAP does not fit into political narratives here especially during elections as the AAP is anti-thesis to spending money in polls, but in this northeastern state astronomical figures in 'eight figures' and more are spent during assembly polls in the state.
"Today, the AAP is seen as a genuine alternative to the BJP at the national level. The established political parties in Nagaland -- namely the Indian National Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), NDPP and NPF --- all have failed. If someone says they conspired to fail the common people; such a critical observation will not be wrong," says Z Lotha in an article in Dimapur-based 'Nagaland Page'.
"The common Naga people and especially the youngsters are thus now looking for a genuine alternative," he says adding, the AAP can be that alternative. Well, such views could be found in many other places across India. It is generally believed today that the Hindu voters do not look at the AAP as a hawkish 'anti-Hindu' parties such as Samajwadi Party of Akhilesh Yadav, Congress of Rahul Gandhi or the Left parties. This is a big advantage for the AAP.
The Hindu voters have been voting for the BJP because they felt alienated and even 'insulted' under Congress-led UPA dispensation. The Left parties flourished in so-called appeasement politics especially in West Bengal although old students of Indian politics have stated that the CPI-M is the original Hindu party in Kerala.
Thus, Arvind Kejriwal's nuanced approaches to some emotive and sensitive issues has helped to strike a "balance". A growing section of Hindus and even pro-Hindutva ideology voters are now getting frustrated with the BJP for several reasons including joblessness but importantly they still want their Hindu sentiments being acknowledged. Kejriwal's party fit into that.
The BJP certainly has a huge advantage of protecting 'Hindu interest' but when it comes to other issues of governance despite a big push by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on developmental debate, a sizable section feel they are yet to get the 'acche din' (good days) as was promised in 2014. This is why even in states such as Gujarat, the AAP could strike a chord with the voters who have been traditionally voting for the saffron party. Essentially, the AAP's competition as of 2022-23 is against the Congress.
This same narrative will continue till 2024 Lok Sabha polls as well and also in some states where polls are due in 2023.
Recent surveys have still given Prime Minister Modi the rating of 58 percent approval while Rahul Gandhi is far behind with 39 percent. The Congress camp suggests Rahul's image rebuilding operation through Bharat Jodo Yatra has been pretty successful and growing crowd attraction everywhere suggests that. But it is also a fact keeping their hands on heart, no Congressman or woman is sure enough to claim that Rahul's popularity on the streets will be translated into votes.
This is never the case with Narendra Modi though in states such as West Bengal, in 2021 people gathered in big numbers for BJP rallies but in the ultimate backed the charishma of the local leader Mamata Banerjee.
Strangely, Kejriwal may not be a superman attracting a huge crowd. But it is also true there is a certain 'celebrity status' attached to his image chiefly for the anti-corruption crusade he had launched with Gandhian Anna Hazare in 2011.
"Kejriwal may be a smaller leader in perception when it comes to Modi. And he should not try to confront the Prime Minister on a daily basis as he used to do in 2016. It is true the same way, people show more trust in Kejriwal than Rahul Gandhi when it comes to governance.
At the end of the day, it is a fact that Kejriwal has been re-elected on the basis of his governance record and people's approval of his personal performance in Delhi," says trader Poritosh Das in Meghalaya capital Shillong. Strangely again, people are talking AAP in Meghalaya where the party is not even contesting next month's polls.
"Many young and old people residing in Delhi have the 'good experience' of Kejriwal's administration in Delhi. The undersigned has interacted with many such people in the national capital and they say,if tried by sincere and young Naga leaders, the AAP can do well," says the article by Lotha in Nagaland newspapers.
Of course, from Shillong itself there came yet another message. Notwithstanding the fact that the slogan “Long live Rahul Gandhi" is echoed everywhere during Bharat Jodo Yatra, in Meghalaya, the Congress state unit has requested the high command to depute Shashi Tharoor and Priyanka Gandhi "more for campaigning".
The reason for this is obvious -- though no one is saying Rahul Gandhi should not campaign in Meghalaya. It goes without stating that the Congress foot soldiers need Tharoor and Priyanka to garner votes.
In another northeastern state Tripura too, one Congress leader said, "We want all three of them with all their time and steam".
The Congress faced virtual rejection in another north eastern state long before the polls were actually held. Nagaland pradesh Congress chief K Therie has issues and essentially organisational weaknesses across the state. In 2018, funds crunch made him field only 18 candidates out of his original plans to field 60.
He also had big differences with the then AICC general secretary C P Joshi. Things have not improved much on both -- the fund system and organisational levels. A former Chief Minister K L Chishi announced in June 2022 that he will contest the polls on Congress ticket from Atouizu assembly segment in remote Zunheboto district. However, the Congress party has hardly seen any 'revival' journey in the Zunheboto district itself after such a personal announcement.
"K L Chishi is a time tested leader and is a known fighter. But things do not look very encouraging for Congress in the Zunheboto district itself," says a local Congress party leader.
There are issues and on-ground situations that suggest how and why the decline of Congress popularity is directly linked to AAP's growth. Some leaders in Nagaland could be keen to taken an advantage because of a vacuum.
This vacuum is actually felt more at the national level. Analysts find Congress has become a prisoner of the dynasty and its own archaic structures. It missed a chance of 'reforms' during the party's presidential polls and instead allowed Sonia-Rahul and Priyanka to elevate Malikarjun Kharge for the top post.
Both the dynasty and the Congress remain convinced in its sense of entitlement. It believes the days in power are possible because people of India will reject BJP and Narendra Modi.
This is not the language of a fighting outfit. The AAP is totalaty different to Congress but similar to the BJP in more ways than one.
The AAP fights in states where it has no base, embarking on uncharted roads. It has a model of governance the 'Delhi model' just like Modi flaunts BJP’s hyped 'Gujarat model'.
ends
(Nirendra Dev is a New Delhi-based journalist. He is also author of books, 'The Talking Guns: North East India' and 'Modi to Moditva: An Uncensored Truth'. Views are personal)
No comments:
Post a Comment