 "Kejriwal, Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi CM")
New Delhi: In this Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023 file image Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal attends inauguration of a three-lane flyover at Sarai Kale Khan, in New Delhi. (Photo: PTI)
In April 2011, Anna Hazare, a 73-year-old Gandhian, launched a protest against corruption from Delhi’s Jantar Mantar with a “fast unto death”. Thousands joined the movement across the country. Of these, one civil society member stood out.
Arvind Kejriwal, a former Indian Revenue Service officer, came to be known as “a close aide” of Hazare. So much so that when in August later that year, Hazare announced his “India Against Corruption” campaign from Ramlila Maidan, Kejriwal stood right behind him on the stage.
Thirteen years later, Kejriwal is among the most popular leaders in India’s political opposition. The bureaucrat-turned-activist-turned-politician is serving his third term as the national capital’s chief minister.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which he launched in 2012, is today one of the most successful political startups of the last seven decades and is now one of the six national parties in India. Apart from New Delhi, the AAP is in power in Punjab. It has contested Assembly polls in several other states like Gujarat, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana.
But Kejriwal’s arrest by the Enforcement Directorate on March 21 on charges of money laundering in a case linked to Delhi’s excise policy has brought life full circle for Kejriwal.
So, would this become the “Waterloo” moment for Kejriwal and the AAP? Or it would catapult them to a bigger, better national standing before the Lok Sabha elections in 2024?
Sanjay Kumar, professor and co-director of Lokniti, called this a “moment of crisis” for the party and said he does not see AAP’s position getting any better. “I think the possibility of the party growing and gaining ground because of the sympathy they are likely to gain from the arrest, is very unlikely,” he said.
“For the leaders who are outside, to lead the party the way Arvind Kejriwal was leading, is going to be an extremely difficult task.” Kumar said that he was expecting more fervent protests on the streets. “I decided to take the metro to the office because I thought by road it may be a little difficult due to protests on the street, barricades etc. But I don’t think there is any buzz about that,” he said.
AAP did not reply to Business Standard’s questions. However, a party strategist, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the party was looking at the positives, both short term, for the Lok Sabha polls, but also beyond, to the Delhi Assembly polls in 2025 and the Haryana Legislative Assembly elections later this year. The AAP has factored in the prospect of its leadership, and it expects some more of its leaders to be arrested, to be facing prison terms for months to come, probably until the Delhi polls next year, and the likelihood of Delhi being put under Governor’s Rule.
“Yes, it would be difficult to replace a star campaigner like Kejriwal. But we have a committed rank and file, and a robust organisation. Others will step up. It is a growth opportunity for us,” the strategist maintained, adding that prophecies that the AAP might implode were premature. The strategist pointed to the enormous support his party has received from across India, and the unprecedented coverage internationally, with Kejriwal’s arrest being one of the top ten trends worldwide on Friday.
The sympathy for Kejriwal, the unfair circumstances of his arrest will help the party in the four Lok Sabha seats it is contesting in Delhi, 13 in Punjab, one in Haryana and two in Gujarat, he said. “Kejriwal’s arrest is also a reply to those who accused us of being the Bharatiya Janata Party’s ‘B’ team. We are a party battling the Bharatiya Janata Party on the ground,” the strategist said.
After Kejriwal’s arrest, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said the party stands behind him “like a rock”. The AAP also unveiled its plans to take the issue to the people by sustained protests in the next few days.
Hazare said he had corresponded with Kejriwal twice, reminding him of their joint efforts against alcoholism and advising him to steer clear of excise policy decisions. “He got arrested due to his deeds. Had he not done anything, there was no question of his being arrested,” Hazare told news agency PTI.
Kejriwal, in a video released on social media by AAP on Friday, was seen saying, “Whether inside or outside, my life is dedicated to the country.”
First Published: Mar 22 2024 | 9:12 PM IST
