Can Arvind Kejriwal do it again? With Delhi set for Assembly polls in a few months, the spotlight is back on the anti-corruption crusader and his fledgling political outfit. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which stormed Delhi’s political scene during last year’s Assembly polls, and subsequently formed the government with Congress support, has seen its fortunes slide ever since.

Before considering AAP’s prospects, we must understand where it went wrong. It made three explicit mistakes. The first was the decision to form the government in Delhi with support from the Congress. The AAP had mobilised its political capital before the polls on strong anti-Congress, anti-BJP rhetoric. It emerged as the second largest party with 28 seats, after the BJP’s 31 seats in the 70-member assembly. The Congress, which had ruled the city-state for 15 years, was trounced with a mere 8 seats. The AAP could have waited till the people gave them a clear majority to rule. Accepting Congress support was the first blow to its public image.

One mistake cannot be undone by another but the AAP tried to do so by abruptly ending its government after its failing to get the Lok Pal Bill passed. What they should have done was to focus on delivering the promises they had made in the manifesto. In their eagerness to go back to oppositional politics, the AAP seized the first opportunity to quit power, thus raising questions about its resolve and capability to deliver. The gravest error, though, was its failure to articulate an ideology.

By projecting itself as a non-ideological party, the AAP found it difficult to fit itself into the ideology-heavy political spectrum. The lack of clear economic and social vision contributed to the identity crisis. But all is not lost. The BJP has its own agenda; the Congress is weak. The upcoming election is a fresh opportunity for the AAP to reverse matters. Provided it presents itself as a party with an identity.

Assistant Editor

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