Why Kejriwal must rewrite his politics

On February 27, Arvind Kejriwal addressed a press conference. The following day, he was at the Hanuman Temple in Connaught Place, a place he visits before any significant political or personal event. On March 2, he was at Jantar Mantar, addressing a rally.

Two days later, he joined his close aide Manish Sisodia at his residence for much-publicised Holi celebrations. On Friday, he appeared before an Assembly committee with much fanfare.

Over the past eight days, Kejriwal has also spoken more about Delhi, after months of being more active in Punjab.

The AAP leader has not been this busy in Delhi since his destabilising defeat a year ago, after being in power for 10 years. A court relief — through discharge, if not acquittal — in the liquor scam case in February last week gave him a return ticket to Delhi’s centre stage, with a show of regaining moral ground.

The challenge for the AAP is multi-fold. The most pressing question is whether Delhi voters are ready for a return to the party’s confrontational style of politics. If the February 2025 elections are any indication, voters rejected it despite the AAP continuing with its formula of free power, free water and free education.

A high-decibel, perception-altering campaign by the resourceful BJP has obviously added to AAP’s woes, but the party’s undoing can also be attributed to its inability to shed the image of being an arrogant and obstinate player in the governance structure. People appeared weary of its confrontational politics.

Over the past year, the AAP raised only sporadic voices. They were neither powerful enough nor did the public feel the vigour that had marked the party before its electoral debacle. Once seen as an opinion creator, the AAP in Delhi’s Opposition has not been as voluble as it was while in government or during its inception.

More than street action, it was press conferences and social media posts that kept the AAP alive. Its calls for action drew only muted responses, as Kejriwal himself remained absent from Delhi for a year after the poll defeat.

He may have felt bitter towards the Delhi voter, who once catapulted him to power as an agent of change but dealt him a harsh blow during the biggest crisis of his political life.

For the AAP, regaining people’s trust will be its major assignment. It may not be prudent to rely on the same playbook of confrontational politics — whose expiry date has long passed — at least in Delhi.

While Kejriwal will remain the party’s lone face, the AAP will also have to rewrite the personality-driven politics embedded in its system. This time, it must go beyond the “imaandaar” (honest) and simplicity planks, as people will demand answers to their hard questions.

A variety of corruption allegations, including the exorbitant revamp of his official residence during his tenure as chief minister, as well as the liquor scam case, have dented his image. While the public is aware that Kejriwal received relief in one corruption case, the euphoria is missing.

With people no longer seeing him as markedly different from other politicians, Kejriwal will now have to demonstrate how he stands apart from the current crop of leaders he publicly despises.

In this endeavour, he may have to redesign his strategy by no longer being evasive on contentious issues. This time, he may not enjoy the luxury of being ideology-less, as he once projected himself to be.