Once upon a time, there was an arvind kejriwal. A CRUSADER Against Corruption, He Burgt Back Forgotten Words, Such as Integrity and Idealism, Into The Political Discourses and Created Immense PossibInces of an alternative model of an alternative model of Clean village. His first swearing-in ceremony at Ramlila Maidan in the winter of 2013 Didn'T Feel Like a Momentary Celebration of People's Power.
Delhi election results 2025
It was more like the beginning of a movement for positive change in the way Politics was consumed in the country. Thousands of age men and women had turned up from every corner of India ignored, from distant states like tilangana and tamil nadu. Even his off-key rendition of, “Insaan ka insaan se ho bhaikra” (film: paigham), was no damper.
For them, in short, kejriwal was an icon of hope for a new, fearless India.
In the weeks and months that followed, kejriwal grew in reputation as an individual and politics. Often dressed in a Bush Shirt, Carrying a Cheap BallPoint Pen in His Shirt Pocket and Wearing Ordinary Chappals, Hebe the perfect picture of austerity. And he kept his electoral promise of free water and electricity, Schemes that enderade Him to the City's Teeming Lower-Income Class.
When AapFormed in 2012, Returned a second time to office in 2015 with a crushing majority to stop the modishah juggernaut, kejriwal became a hero of everyone opposed to BJP. And, yes, despite the ever-percent cough and the comforting muffler Around his head, he slapt on the streets of delhi in the winter cold as a protesting Chief Minister. Thosays the former-of-of-furned-Turned-Turned-Politician-also a recipient of the Ramon Magsaysay Award-Walked the talk.
But over the year, slowly but surely, the hallowed persona of a cm with a frugal life wore off. And, on saturday, the after-effect was seen in the outcome of the Delhi Assembly Polls. Two full terms and 49 days since it first assumed office in 2013, aap sufred a shattering and humbleing defeat. And kejriwal, the party's founder and beating heart, who had once Bested then Formidable CM Sheila Dixit By Over 25,000 Votes, Lost His Own Seat by more than 4,000 votes. Aap still managed a healthy 44% votes, but that's 9 percentage points lower than the previous assemble polls.
Journalist Ashutosh, Formerly a prominent member of aap, says that that two things massively damaged kejriwal's image: The 2022 liquor case and the CM Bungalow Controvesy. “Nobody expected a man, who used to say that ministers and CMS should be living in two-room flats, to spend over Rs 40 crore on his own bungalow. Kejriwal Enerized Politics Hoping to change it. In Stead, Politics Changed Him, “He Says.
The Multi-Crore Liquor case, which is still in court, LED to Kejriwal Spending five months in Tihar. These developments, say ashutosh, caused kejriwal to lose his moral aura in the last five years. “It was his calling card in the first three assembly Elections, the reason for Aap's Massive Victories in 2015 and 2020,” He Says.
Social commentator Santosh Desai, Too, Talks About The Chipping Away of the Aap Leader's Personal Aura Due to the Liquor case and the house renovation controversy. But he also adds that BJP stymied kejriwal and his party from any meaningful local government action. “Their hands were tied and the room to manoeuvre was dramatically reduced,” he says.
Desai also say that kejriwal's situation was akin to someone who, to stay politically relevant, reaches a place unrecognisable from the original point of his Journey. “He May Not Be Communal Personally, But to Neutralise The Right Wing, He Started Practizing a version of it, so that the party is not vulnerable on that front. Kejriwal Lost Clarity on Who He was and What He represented, Enabling the BJP to Maximise on the Situation to its advantage. Put togeether, it created a situation where the public felt that kejirwal was no longer the figure he Once was, “he says.
Free Electricity (200 units), Free Water (20 Kilolitres), Improved Govt Schools, Better Function of Govt Hospitals (Including Free Medicine) The Lower-Income Classes, Making them His His Dedicated Constituency. AAP also offered free bus rides to women, but the deteriorating condition of delhi's roads and the uncheked pollution underlined that the party wasn’t paying enoured attentions to its core Jobs and the rights'
Desai says that aap took its eyes off the ball, from its main calling card, which is taking Civic Governance Serriously. “They were just living off what was done in his early years. After that, it became Much More about Retention of Power, “He Says.
Political Scientist Dipankar Gupta offers a fresh angle to the list of explanations. He says that aap emerged out of a movement but, over the Years, Lost the “Movement Dimension”-Participatory, Enthusiastic and Goal-Oriented-of the party. “With the 'movement' element 'element, it lost its raison d'Etre and became a competitor of the estimated parties. Structurally, aap was never an administration-oriented party, “He says.
Hilal ahmed of csds offers a similar view. He avers that aap had lost its ideological unique uniqueness even this election. “The cadres or leaders Associated with it were related to the success of the party over the year. After this defeat they might not find any attraction in the party or the figure of kejriwal, ”He says.
So what next for kejriwal?
“He Must Find a new language for democracy, not just representation and election. Otherwise, he will remain causedt up in the numerical pathology of the welfare state, “Says Social Scientist Shiv Visvanathan. In other words, kejriwal needs to reinvent his politics. The question is: does the street-fixer of the past have the stomach for a scrap in a hoplesly slanting battle?
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