Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal.
Credit: PTI Photo
New Delhi: The contours of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc politics, amid fresh challenges to Congress’ leadership of the non-NDA alliance and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal’s political future, hinge on the outcome of the Delhi elections as the BJP, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, makes a determined bid to capture power in the national capital after an extended stint in the Opposition.
The AAP emerged from the anti-corruption movement led by Anna Hazare. The Kejriwal brand of politics is rooted in Delhi. In the 12 years since its inception, the AAP has grown beyond the national capital territory to bag Punjab and is now a national party with MPs in the Parliament.
But a lot of water has flowed down the Yamuna in the same period. After two emphatic victories, the novelty factor associated with the new kid on the block has come down by a few notches. The AAP’s image as an anti-corruption crusader is under intense scrutiny. Some of its top leaders, including party convenor Kejriwal and former deputy CM Manish Sisodia, have faced extended incarceration after being named by the ED in the excise policy scam. Kejriwal had to relinquish office and hand over the baton to Atishi Singh after getting bail from the Supreme Court.
Kejriwal, personally, has come under scrutiny for expenditure incurred in the renovation of the CM’s residence — dubbed ‘sheesh mahal’ by the Opposition. The AAP MLAs too, especially those in the second and third term, are up against local anti-incumbency.
The challenge to the AAP comes not just from the BJP. A strong AAP in Delhi is a potential challenger to the Congress at the national level. The two parties are in the anti-BJP bloc but compete for a common political space.
With other regional parties like the TMC already questioning the grand old party’s hegemony, Kejriwal’s third consecutive victory would strengthen the ginger group seeking to stake a claim to the I.N.D.I.A. bloc leadership.
It is not surprising then that the Congress, especially its treasurer and former Delhi Assembly speaker Ajay Maken, has been unsparing in its criticism of the AAP leadership, though the two parties fielded joint candidates for the seven LS seats in the May 2024 general elections.
For the BJP, the elections are probably the best opportunity to wrest control of Delhi after Sushma Swaraj lost power to Sheila Dixit in 1998. The internal rift between stalwarts like Madal Lal Khurana and VK Malhotra kept the party on the margins during 15 years of Congress rule.
Thereafter, the party has grappled with the lack of local leadership that could offer an alternative to Kejriwal. Attempts to stitch a social combination of BJP’s Baniya-Punjabi traditional vote with migrants through the projection of Bhojpuri actors like Manoj Tiwari have also come a cropper.
For the 2025 Delhi polls, the BJP is betting on PM Modi’s personal appeal. In his election rallies, Modi has promised to make Delhi the “best capital in the world” while targeting the AAP and Kejriwal for corruption and alleged lack of development.
Despite all the troubles, the AAP has demonstrated an uncanny ability to turn around the narrative, especially in the face of adversity. Having spent a decade in power, the party has created a well-entrenched network in the national capital. Will it be enough to hand Kejriwal another shot at power?