When I recently wrote this article titled - The need for an alternative, I was just hoping that some day, a party like AAP or Loksatta starts making things tougher for BJP and Congress. I have to admit that I wasn't even remotely optimistic about that happening in the near future. AAP proved me wrong with a startling and impressive victory in Delhi. When the talks of them forming the government with some outside support was doing the rounds, I was hoping that it somehow comes true. I wasn't thinking much. I just wanted to witness that moment when Kejriwal and his team take oath as cabinet ministers. These guys, along with thousands of volunteers had created history. Although BJP won more seats than anyone else, the fact that AAP trailed by just four seats is remarkable. In Delhi, by contesting elections, they not only helped people tell Congress that they are fed up with them but they also signaled BJP that this frustration and unhappiness would not easily translate to a belief and confidence that BJP shall be a better option in the upcoming general elections.
If not for people who desperately want to vote for BJP for reasons best known to them, for others who wanted to vote for BJP just because of lack of a powerful alternative to Congress, AAP has come in as an excellent option. To assume that AAP wouldn't commit any mistake and that India will become a superpower if we vote for them is stupid. However, I think it's safe to give them a chance. To its credit, AAP has neither been formed with ridiculous ideologies that BJP was formed with and continues to strive for, nor is it as shameless and corrupt as Congress. In fact, AAP has got all the right ingredients for a political party to begin with. It was started with the fight against corruption as the base, it has been cautious enough not to entertain tainted candidates, it hasn't shown inclination towards any religion or caste so far, it has been striving to give a feeling that its politicians are more approachable, are more closer to common people and hence are in better position to understand the problems at ground level. For us who have been repeatedly taught by our politicians to be cynical about themselves, all these ideologies that AAP is talking about might appear to be plain politics and nothing else. I think it is too early to assume so and dismiss them. It is indeed a political trick to grab votes, but without something of this kind, it is almost impossible to win elections in India and unfortunately, to make a difference, you have to win elections.
In a country where political parties have always made use of money, caste, populistic measures and sometimes celebrity status to win elections, if AAP is using anti-corruption stand, end of VIP culture and measures which are appearing to be populistic sometimes, I wouldn't worry much. They have raised the bar for politics to an extent that after they formed government, people had a re-look at their manifesto and started asking them when they would fulfill their promises. I don't think that has happened in my country in recent times. As far as governance is concerned, it is too early to judge them. We might not agree with some of their decisions in Delhi, but putting them in the same league as that of other parties so soon is a little unfair. For a long long time now, genuine Indian voters who do not vote for wrong reasons have had to choose lesser evil while voting. This time, we don't have to do that. AAP, till now, hasn't got any black spots. If they go by their ideology, in general elections, their candidates shall not have tainted background, shall have some experience of social service, shall be spending lesser than other parties, shall not ask for votes just because they are Brahmins or Muslims or Dalits and shall not be contesting because of their family background. With media and other political parties eagerly trying to spot them violating their own rules, the last thing that AAP would want to do is breaking its promise unapologetically like other parties do. We recently saw the induction of Shivkumar and Roshan Baig to cabinet and induction of BSY back to BJP in Karnataka. The intentions of Congress, BJP and AAP are same - To win general elections. For this, while AAP has been shouting that they'll field all clean candidates and provide good governance by putting an end to corruption, BJP and Congress are playing their usual game of banking on caste-based voting. Although AAP knows that with the way they are going, they might lose votes of pseudo-intellectuals in urban India and uneducated folks in rural India, they have shown no signs of deviating from their stand so far. That makes them more trustworthy.
Besides all these, what really sets AAP apart is that they have huge scope to correct their mistakes whenever they encounter them. Being a party which is just growing, they can afford to take political decisions more easily. Removing a tainted candidate for example is much easier for AAP than for Congress and BJP. Candiates here do not come with money power. They do not come with mad fan following. Also, like I said earlier, they know they are being watched closely. They haven't yet developed that thick skin that other parties have developed. They can kick out a Yeddy or a Reddy in no time if they really want to. Compare this to how reluctant BJP was while throwing Yeddy out though a very senior guy like Advani wanted to and see how they got him in now. After all this comes the question of efficiency in governance and bringing in right set of policies. For that, we will have to first give them a chance and see how they perform. If they mess it up too, let's get back to choosing the lesser evil.
If not for people who desperately want to vote for BJP for reasons best known to them, for others who wanted to vote for BJP just because of lack of a powerful alternative to Congress, AAP has come in as an excellent option. To assume that AAP wouldn't commit any mistake and that India will become a superpower if we vote for them is stupid. However, I think it's safe to give them a chance. To its credit, AAP has neither been formed with ridiculous ideologies that BJP was formed with and continues to strive for, nor is it as shameless and corrupt as Congress. In fact, AAP has got all the right ingredients for a political party to begin with. It was started with the fight against corruption as the base, it has been cautious enough not to entertain tainted candidates, it hasn't shown inclination towards any religion or caste so far, it has been striving to give a feeling that its politicians are more approachable, are more closer to common people and hence are in better position to understand the problems at ground level. For us who have been repeatedly taught by our politicians to be cynical about themselves, all these ideologies that AAP is talking about might appear to be plain politics and nothing else. I think it is too early to assume so and dismiss them. It is indeed a political trick to grab votes, but without something of this kind, it is almost impossible to win elections in India and unfortunately, to make a difference, you have to win elections.
In a country where political parties have always made use of money, caste, populistic measures and sometimes celebrity status to win elections, if AAP is using anti-corruption stand, end of VIP culture and measures which are appearing to be populistic sometimes, I wouldn't worry much. They have raised the bar for politics to an extent that after they formed government, people had a re-look at their manifesto and started asking them when they would fulfill their promises. I don't think that has happened in my country in recent times. As far as governance is concerned, it is too early to judge them. We might not agree with some of their decisions in Delhi, but putting them in the same league as that of other parties so soon is a little unfair. For a long long time now, genuine Indian voters who do not vote for wrong reasons have had to choose lesser evil while voting. This time, we don't have to do that. AAP, till now, hasn't got any black spots. If they go by their ideology, in general elections, their candidates shall not have tainted background, shall have some experience of social service, shall be spending lesser than other parties, shall not ask for votes just because they are Brahmins or Muslims or Dalits and shall not be contesting because of their family background. With media and other political parties eagerly trying to spot them violating their own rules, the last thing that AAP would want to do is breaking its promise unapologetically like other parties do. We recently saw the induction of Shivkumar and Roshan Baig to cabinet and induction of BSY back to BJP in Karnataka. The intentions of Congress, BJP and AAP are same - To win general elections. For this, while AAP has been shouting that they'll field all clean candidates and provide good governance by putting an end to corruption, BJP and Congress are playing their usual game of banking on caste-based voting. Although AAP knows that with the way they are going, they might lose votes of pseudo-intellectuals in urban India and uneducated folks in rural India, they have shown no signs of deviating from their stand so far. That makes them more trustworthy.
Besides all these, what really sets AAP apart is that they have huge scope to correct their mistakes whenever they encounter them. Being a party which is just growing, they can afford to take political decisions more easily. Removing a tainted candidate for example is much easier for AAP than for Congress and BJP. Candiates here do not come with money power. They do not come with mad fan following. Also, like I said earlier, they know they are being watched closely. They haven't yet developed that thick skin that other parties have developed. They can kick out a Yeddy or a Reddy in no time if they really want to. Compare this to how reluctant BJP was while throwing Yeddy out though a very senior guy like Advani wanted to and see how they got him in now. After all this comes the question of efficiency in governance and bringing in right set of policies. For that, we will have to first give them a chance and see how they perform. If they mess it up too, let's get back to choosing the lesser evil.
