The birth of AAP under Arvind Kejriwal has many tales. It emerged from the heat and dust of turmoil left by the Anna Hazare movement for Lokpal vis-a-vis corruption in higher places.
Apparently, RSS sympathies were there behind the Anna Hazare movement and that way the Sangh parivar fountainhead had achieved its target as corruption tag hit UPA-2 credibility badly. And this ultimately helped Narendra Modi present himself as an alternative to the people.
Top of that Modi's lethal combination of pro-development catalyst image and Hindutva icon made a fantastic combine to hand over Congress a crushing defeat.
But the damage to Congress was more than just the electoral setback. In terms of perception, Congress has been as a party of 'failures', a party of 'corrupt' and a party that thrived on anti-Hindu politics punctuated with strong pro-Muslim and pro-Christian leanings. The damage was serious. Even today in many states, while people could be fed up and anguished with BJP and NDA constituents; they are still unable to see Congress as a genuine alternative.
Of course, the Congress leaders have been trying to work hard and change the perception in many places. In some states, it has able to take necessary and corrective steps; but the fact that AAP's entry is harmful is something the grand old party should realise pretty fast; and the sooner it is better.
The Kejriwal-led outfit has snatched power in Punjab and it has marginalised the Congress further in Gujarat. In 2022 assembly polls, Congress strength in Gujarat was reduced to 17. The AAP too managed 12.92 percent votes and five seats. Now just in the run up to the assembly polls in Mizoram and also 2024 battle being not far off, AAP has announced its decision to contest polls in Mizoram and also set up a North East Coordination Committee.
"We are encouraged by the move," says an AAP leader in Nagaland. Sources admit in states such as Mizoram and Nagaland, if AAP can expand its electoral base, all of these would be at the cost of Congress.
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| Kejriwal with Rajesh Sharma and NE leaders |
Kejriwal's point-man in north east Rajesh Sharma says the people in the northeast are grappling with issues related to education, healthcare, inflation, and unemployment, and they believe that "the AAP can provide solutions to these problems". This statement is perhaps more important than the mere statistical issues like how many seats can AAP win or how many seats it would contest.
It goes without stating that there is a Congress space in north east and also the acceptability. But it is also true the Congress has lot base badly -- in some places beyond repair. In Nagaland, in two simultaneous assembly polls 2018 and 2023, the Congress drew a blank. In between of course it found 2019 Lok Sabha polls seriously in Nagaland and its nominee K L Chishi almost won. But it is true the Congress has lost ground.
The AAP leaders feel if that 'space left unguarded and vacuum by Congress' could be captured, the Kejriwal-led outfit has a future.
Well, certain things related to life and politics are easier said than done. Just contesting here and there may not yield expected results to the Kejriwal camp. At the end of the day, Kejriwal needs to win seats and he knows that it is only number of seats that would decide the 'PM candidate' for I.N.D.I Alliance (I.N.D.I.A). Kejriwal remains eternally ambitious and hence he has issues with Congress and even other leaders such as Mamata Banerjee.
But as far as people are concerned, the so-called 'Delhi model' appeals to Indian electorate who have immense liking for freebies. The Delhi government has made a niche for itself in education, health vis-a-vis Moholla clinic and also Kejriwal's soft-Hindutva cards.
Moreover, AAP's sense of timing of using the soft-Hindutva card has been much better than the Congress and also this has 'more credibility' vis-a-vis AAP than the goodwill Congress can generate. The Congress attempts to throw up soft-Hindutva cards actually do not have any takers per se.
Even on the issue of corruption, while people think Congress is generally corrupt; when it comes to AAP, people generally say Manish Sisodia and other AAP leaders have been victimized.
Much to the delight in BJP camp, some AAP leaders feel, "The AAP has better fighting ability against BJP than the Congress....Any one of us who wants a scam free country cannot vote back Congress!"
There are other aspects in terms of political acceptability of the AAP. There are even Congress leaders such as Ajay Maken and Sandeep Dikshit who are firm about fighting Kejriwal tooth and nail. Late Arun Jaitley. former Finance Minister, used to say that the AAP is only a "party born out of a reaction".
This many agree readily. Moreover, the AAP’s political detractors say the Delhi government’s performance has not been too inspiring. "It is worse in Punjab," alleges a Congress leader.
"Kejriwal as a leader and the Delhi government's activities have centered around the vehicles in which the Ministers travel, kind of houses they occupy, the enhanced salaries of MLAs, the freebies that they can distribute and how to occupy media centre stage...We do not see them as a party with a vision and agenda for Delhi... Populism is the biggest issue AAP offers," says a Congress leader cautious that the constituents battle against each other will come to the fore soon and harm the I.N.D.I alliance oif no proper scheme of things is worked out.
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