- The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) led by Arvind Kejriwal has made steady progress in establishing credentials in the national political firmament is by now well established. However, the catchy plank of AAP about zero tolerance for corruption, honest administration, clean governance, and focus on sprucing up infrastructure vis-à-vis education and healthcare have remained largely on paper. The hyperbole surrounding the claims has turned out to be a non-starter since the two tall leaders of AAP viz. Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia have staked their political futures on the Delhi assembly election 2025 and both are out on bail. Ironically, both are back to campaigning on their 2013 honest neta plank. Will it cut ice with the electorate? That’s a million-dollar question.
PC:Moneycontrol
- In the aftermath of money laundering allegations that played out through the year, both proclaimed when they quit, separately, that they’d return to office only if voters gave them a clean chit. It was hitting two birds with one stone: making the election a trial by voters and reiterating the alleged unfairness of law enforcement. Of course, jail stint served another CM, Hemant Soren, well in Jharkhand, who went on to win handsomely on a tribal identity plank. Unlike Soren, Kejriwal had refused to resign when arrested, opting to play a kin-in-exile card. AAP’s constant newfound Hindutva narrative continued when Atishi, a rare first-time legislator to assume the post, had posed next to an empty chair to symbolize Kejriwal as the real Ram. Some drama indeed.
PC:The Indian Express
- Further, another CM, Omar Abdullah in the newest UT J&K, just days ago, said the dual power system should end while his party talked of certain issues as the job of an elected government, not a nominated person hinting at the LG’s role in the administration. Kejriwal knows this tune well – he’s had dealings, to put it mildly, with three LGs. Indeed, the powers of Delhi’s elected govt stand considerably whittled and the AAP govt has been on a collision course with its bureaucracy. It bickers with its allies. Having won 62 of 70 seats in 2020, this time’s poll strategy hangs entirely on Kejriwal’s political acumen – his leadership sharper than his anti-corruption crusader role. The question is will the electorate be impressed with this line of political narration? Unlikely.
PC:Rising Kashmir
- Note that AAP became a national party last September after winning 5 seats in Gujarat state polls – alongside govts in Delhi and Punjab, where it made electoral capital from farmers’ protests, and 2 MLAs in Goa. In home turf Delhi, it’s AAP’s toughest battle yet. Recently, the former CM worried over law and order in Delhi. Make no mistake, Kejriwal is spoilt for political issues to campaign on, but sadly, none of it will likely be about the decay of India’s richest city, its toxic air, mismanaged waste, appalling urban transport system, its traffic woes, or the desperation of its lower middle classes, where mid-day meal cooks are paid Rs. 1,000 a month. People are known to go against popular belief by choosing parties whom they think will deliver promises. Expected the unexpected.
, despite achieving national party status and expanding its presence beyond Delhi, faces significant challenges in the upcoming 2025 Delhi assembly elections due to corruption allegations against its key leaders and governance issues. While Kejriwal and his party attempt to maintain their anti-corruption image and navigate political narratives, they face scrutiny over Delhi's deteriorating infrastructure and environmental conditions, raising questions about their electoral prospects.){kind=link}