Delhi polls is a battle between development and freebies

Those who have followed Delhi’s politics after the resurrection of the Assembly in 1993, would recall that the change of power in the national capital has always been preceded by intensive engagement with people. Be it 1998, when Sheila Dikshit came to power or 2013 when Arvind Kejriwal replaced her as chief minister, public agitation preceded the Assembly elections.

In 1998, Dikshit as the face of the Congress campaign, managed to ride on the people’s anger regarding the ever-spiralling prices of onions and other vegetables. As the agitation moved on the issues of the supply of contaminated mustard oil, poor state of public transport, and power cuts dovetailed. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lost miserably despite having won handsomely in the Lok Sabha polls a few months earlier.

Similarly in 2013, Kejriwal built on people’s anger in the Nirbhaya case adding issues of corruption and putting the icing of free electricity and water supply. Since then, he has won twice: in 2015 and 2020, distributing the crumbs from the cake he baked in 2013.

Recalling the phrase once used famously by late BJP leader Manohar Parrikar, albeit in a different context, Kejriwal’s cake has now turned into a rancid pickle. But still there is no overt anger against his government or we are missing an undercurrent.

Late last year, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the ruling party of Delhi for the past 10 years, celebrated its foundation day. On the same day the largest news agency of the country released an interesting feature saying, ‘The Delhi Model: Penguin India Announces Jasmine Shah’s book’. This news was repeated verbatim with big displays in many newspapers.

This was something interesting, as discussions on new books are largely limited to the ‘Books Pages’ of the newspaper, where the critics give their opinion on a book. Or in the event of a book soon coming to the stands, some of its stimulating information is selectively released to create interest in its content and the right atmospheric for the release. This news feature by the agency, however, could not get covered under any of the two abovementioned categories.

Its tone and tenor said that the book proposed to promote AAP and its time in power in Delhi for the upcoming Assembly polls. The agency feature said, ‘The Delhi Model: A Bold New Road Map to Building a Developed India, delves into the governance model that has redefined public administration in Delhi and influenced policy discussions nationwide.

The great thing about the AAP leadership is that in the worst of the situations, it finds reasons to celebrate. Whatever criticism comes its way, it brazens it out claiming to be the best.

A few months back, soon after the elections in Jammu & Kashmir, Kejriwal gave the unsolicited advice to J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on how to run a Union Territory government. “Like Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir have also been made a half state, all power has been given to the Lieutenant Governor. I would like to tell Omar Abdullah that if you face any problem in working, ask me, I know how to run Delhi,” the former Delhi chief minister said.

Now there cannot be something more audacious for the person, who in the last 10 years has flourished politically by creating a logjam in the name of running a government, to claim to give a few lessons in good governance. But then that’s the Kejriwal style, and anti-incumbency against his government doesn’t seem to hamper his party’s campaign.

Kejriwal, who best understands the psyche of the voters of Delhi, is preying on their greed. AAP has in the past three elections harvested a good electoral crop investing on the greed of the voters. This time they have gone as far to promise free medical cover not discriminating between the poor and the rich.

In fact, Kejriwal has forced other political parties too to play in the same manner as his. Both the Congress and the BJP have promised welfare schemes in their manifestos what Prime Minister Narendra Modi derisively called revdis (freebies). The Delhi poll story is what works better for political parties, development or freebies.

(Sidharth Mishra is president, Centre for Reforms, Development and Justice. X: @sdhsidharth.)

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