Why Arvind Kejriwal's AAP cannot be ignored in Indian politics

A modicum of success in Gujarat will also provide Kejriwal the confidence to venture into other states like Rajasthan

By Simran Sodhi

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Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. - PTI file
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. - PTI file

Published: Sun 4 Dec 2022, 9:39 PM

The Gujarat election is a little more than a State assembly election for all parties in the fray. For the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it is home turf and a matter of prestige. After all, it is the Gujarat model that has been talked about the most by the party for many years now. For the Congress party, it is a question of surviving a death wish. The party seems hopelessly out of touch with reality and a Gujarat debacle will be another nail in its coffin. The interesting party in the fray is the Aam Adami Party (AAP) and its leader Arvind Kejriwal. If AAP can manage even a few seats in Gujarat, it will likely impact national politics in a major way.

If we take a closer look at AAP and its leader Kejriwal, a few things become clear. Kejriwal, like Modi, appeals to the masses and has a good sense of what the public would like to see and hear. His party has always promised corruption-free governance and efficient delivery of state services. His two wins in Delhi, in 2015 and 2020, and in Punjab in 2022 have helped him establish himself as a serious political force. The catch here is that Kejriwal sees himself as not a regional player but seeks a national role for himself. His party has said that Kejriwal will be the Prime Minister of the country one day. Those who had dismissed his Delhi victory in 2015 as a fluke are now forced to admit that APP could lead Opposition soon.


That is where Gujarat becomes so important. Even if the BJP forms the government again, in the state, the real story will be the performance of the Congress and AAP. Not many are betting much on the Congress party but many are keeping their options open when it comes to AAP. The fact that Kejriwal roped in senior party leaders and put up an impressive show points that they are serious about a national challenge and offering the people an alternative in the 2024 national polls.

AAP has cleverly avoided getting trapped in debates between the Left and Right. Ideologically, it is hard to define Kejriwal and the party. And that perhaps is the secret to their success. Kejriwal, so far, has also avoided taking a direct hit at Modi and stuck to his party’s report card on delivery of services. Reductions in electricity bills in Delhi and now Punjab have given people relief and his party votes. No wonder then he has announced that his party would slash electricity bills in Gujarat too if they are voted to power. For people struggling with unemployment and inflation, this is music to the ears.


In both Delhi and Punjab, the AAP came to power by defeating the Congress party. In Gujarat, it is taking on the BJP in the hope of getting itself elevated to the position of the main Opposition party. While for the BJP the worry will not be the final results but the vote percentage of the AAP. It will also be an indication of where anti-incumbency has worked and where in 2024, the BJP will need to work harder. A modicum of success in Gujarat will also provide Kejriwal the confidence to venture into other states like Rajasthan where again it is the Congress that is in power. Rajasthan goes to polls in 2023 so the timing is perfect too.

The AAP recently turned a decade old. It has been an amazing display of political acumen that Kejriwal, who first came into the limelight in 2012 with Anna Hazare's anti-corruption movement, has turned the party and himself into serious political actors. For any country and for democracy in general, it is essential to have multiple players in the field. The BJP is the biggest player in the arena today, the Congress a fading superstar, and the AAP a rising star. How far Kejriwal will be able to take himself and his party will depend on many factors. But he has shown that he is ready for a bitter, dirty fight if required. For Indian democracy, he is certainly good news. - The writer is a senior journalist based in Delhi

Blurb: A modicum of success in Gujarat will also provide Kejriwal the confidence to venture into other states like Rajasthan where again it is the Congress that is in power.


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