CM or not, Arvind Kejriwal is AAP’s hero, BJP’s villain

When it comes to elections, political parties use a variety of tactics to support their candidates and disparage the other parties. Campaign songs and print and online commercials are part of the arsenal, along with roadshows, door-to-door visits, and rallies.

On January 7, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) launched its campaign song for the February 5 Delhi Assembly polls. The 3:29-min song, titled ‘Phir Layenge Kejriwal’, as expected, highlights the AAP government’s achievements. If former chief minister and AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal thinks that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders will like the song (and even dance to it), Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh has predicted it to be a hit!

It's a foot-tapping number, which has the beats and feel of a ‘hero-entry’ song in a masala potboiler. The hero being Kejriwal. Intriguingly, though the song highlights the state government’s achievements/schemes, nowhere in it is there a reference to ‘AAP’ — it’s ‘Kejriwal’ all the way! More on Kejriwal being synonymous with AAP later in the article.

The BJP, as has been the case in the past few Assembly and general elections, has released many video advertisements as a part of its Delhi election campaign. Most of them confirm to the style the ruling party at the Centre has been following: cock a snook at Opposition leaders and berate their schemes.

The focus of these advertisements by the BJP is on the ‘flaws’ of the Opposition. For example, its ‘Das Saal, Dilli Behaal’ advertisements or in its ‘Breakup’ advertisements talk about how much of a letdown AAP has been in the past 10 years.

The BJP’s focus on AAP’s mistakes prompts the question: Why are its video advertisements not focusing on what the BJP has to offer to Delhi’s voters? After all, in the recently-concluded Maharashtra polls, the BJP also campaigned on its strength. In Delhi, is the BJP trying to zero in on, and likely benefit from, a 10-year anti-incumbency against the AAP government?

In this regard, the ‘Breakup’ advertisements are especially interesting, because nowhere in these is there an appeal to vote for the BJP. If you are unaware of the context, these advertisements could be mistaken for those from any anti-AAP political party. The ‘product’ these advertisements are offering is the anger that people in Delhi feel towards the AAP government for not providing basic services like good roads, clean air and water, and so on. The ’Breakup’ advertisements also point to the confidence the BJP has its messaging — the Delhi voter disillusioned by AAP will turn to the BJP. 

If AAP is relying heavily on Kejriwal to retain power, as mentioned earlier in the article, the BJP, for this precise reason, is targeting the former chief minister. The ‘Keju’ in the BJP’s advertisements, who is intended to remind one of Kejriwal, is shown as a person who does not keep his promises, is quick to blame the neighbours, and reassures that “this time I will get it fixed”. The calculation here might be that the BJP stands a good chance at the hustings if it manages to dent Kejriwal’s popularity.

It is the irony of politics and a cruelty towards the citizens when the light and sound show that is India’s elections does not feature a solution to the everyday problems the aam aadmi face.

It's interesting to note that AAP's Kejriwal is not the same as BJP's 'Keju'. ‘Phir Layenge Kejriwal’ has recent clippings of Kejriwal campaigning, but ‘Keju’ is a caricature of a muffler-clad Kejriwal. Thus, Kejriwal's 'Mufflerman' image, which a decade ago worked wonders for AAP, is now used to mock the leader.

AAP’s campaign song and the BJP’s advertisements have one thing in common: the focus on Arvind Kejriwal. He is currently not the chief minister, and if AAP retains power, he might not become the chief minister. Yet, AAP’s trump card is Kejriwal, and the BJP is trying to cut him down to size.

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.