AAP ushered a new political era and has changed the political landscape of India….
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) a social uprising metamorphosed into political blitz has hit Indian National Congress very hard in ‘Dili’—the heart of India and the real seat of power. Within a period of one year the rise of AAP to the level of second largest party in Delhi elections reminds me of N.T.Rama Rao’s TDP (Telugu Desam Party) which stormed to power within nine months of its creation in 1983 forming the first non-Congress government in Andhra Pradesh and surprisingly was able resist even the electoral onslaught of Congress sympathy wave just after sudden death of Indira Gandhi. The other political phenomenon of larger magnitude that stormed Indian political scene was the rise of Asaam Gana Parishad (AGP) in 1985. Both TDP and AGP were political surprises on the Indian political landscape. However, this time round the AAP has hit the bull’s-eye by challenging India’s bigger national political parties, BJP and Congress head-on! Winning a substantial number of Delhi assembly seats by routing Congress and effectively containing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) AAP has emerged as a political force to reckon with.
In real sense the rise of AAP within vast Indian political spectrum is manifestation of deep rooted rot in Indian political arrangement. Corrupt elements and criminal mafia who have overtaken Indian political system leaving no space for common man has brought the Indian polity to the shameful situation of revulsion. Every Indian political party survives and sustains on direct or indirect patronage and support of manipulators and exploiters. During Lokpal agitation the Anna team who spearheaded the agitation was disgustingly humiliated and intimidated not only by Congress only but every political party brushed them aside as overambitious political minnows in the garb of extraneous social reformers. In fact, the people’s anger at Ram Lila ground in Delhi was prelude to a much bigger storm, a social and political face-off. But, Congress and other political parties failed to read the writing on the wall. Indian political mafia ruthlessly tried to scuttle the Lokpal agitation by every overt and covert scheme and at the end succeeded in creating a wedge between Anna Hazare and Arvind Kejriwal. Later, sarcastically challenging Kejriwal and his team to seek peoples support for their demands by contesting elections, the conventional murky Indian political system unintentionally invited trouble and the result is visible on the streets of Delhi—Aam Admi rejoicing its win over political devils of Delhi.
AAP win is not only the vote against existing corrupt and bogged down dynastic political system of India but it is a vote for absolute change, where every citizen of the country desires to be heard and made a party to planning and decision making with highest level of transparency and accountability from top to bottom. Vote for AAP is a unique political transformation that demands total public participation at all levels as envisaged in the most treasured form of governance—DEMOCRACY. At this point of time Kejriwal and his team can claim victory but in real terms it is people’s victory; the victory of common-man against brazen political Mafia. Kejriwal or for that matter even Anna Hazare were only the catalysts who took an initiative to organise Aam Admi against injustice, exploitation and corruption and appropriately chose the democratic way of fighting monstrous devils in electoral arena. Congress party along with other prominent political entities dismissed Kejriwal and his colleagues as a bunch of disgruntled social activists’ daydreaming about social change through agitation and misleading common-man into self embraced uprising. Today same Congress and its leadership succumbed to AAP’s doctrine and in heart of hearts wish to embrace its fundamental principle of respecting sentiments and aspirations of common-man. Disgruntled Indian voter who finds himself cheated for last several decades has found a messiah in AAP and in Delhi he gave vent to his anger against unethical political maneuvering. The cascading effect of AAP win in Delhi assembly polls will definitely have its impact on 2014 Lok Sabha elections. The way Kejriwal and his team converted public anger and aspirations into electoral gains with unflinching public support AAP will usher a new era in Indian political scene. By shrewd management and steering of public sentiment at appropriate and opportune time AAP has not only made a dent in Indian political space but has changed the political landscape of India. Next one year will be crucial for Indian politics and only those political parties that understand the common-man and his aspiration in right perspective will gain the people’s confidence to govern this miserable nation.
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