Page 9 - 15JUNE2019E

AAP routed and has itself to be

blamed for writing own obituary

Why a party, which came with the promise to cleanse politics with its anti-corruption movement, is on the
verge of writing its own obituary in such a short time? An analysis by Tehelka Bureau

elhi chief minister Arvind Ke-
jriwal in a note sent to party
workers has said “Our vol-
unteers ran a superb cam-
D paign, putting all their ener-
gies into it. Across the country, people
acknowledged that our candidates were
among the best. The results, however, did
not meet our expectations. Post-election
ground analysis has revealed two major
reasons. First, the atmosphere that pre-
vailed in the country rubbed off on Delhi
as well. Second, people saw this big elec-
tion as between Modi and Rahul and voted
accordingly.”
Kejriwal’s words seem to have been to
motivate the demotivated party workers.
However, these are bereft of the ground
reality and truth about the party that had
won four-seats in Punjab on its debut in
the 2014 General Election. Subsequently,
in the Punjab Assembly election in 2017,
it relegated Shiromani Akali Dal, the
then party in power to the third spot and
grabbed the slot of the main Opposition
party in Punjab. Earlier in Delhi, the Aam party against which Arvind Kejriwal had party to taste power. The electorate did not
Aadmi Party had won 67 of 70 seats with opened a tirade. No doubt that AAP had like its opportunism. The AAP vote share
57 per cent vote share, despite Modi wave come to power in Delhi and appeared to in Punjab came down to just 7 per cent in
across the country. The party was trying to be an alternative to Congress and BJP else- 2019 from 24 per cent in 2014.
make forays into Gujarat and Goa. where. The BJP has won all the seven seats It seems that AAP has not learned
However, in such a short time, the AAP in Delhi routing both the Congress and the any lesson from the poll results. Kejriwal
has badly lost the trust of people. In Hary- AAP in the Lok Sabha polls. It seems that claimed in the note circulated to party
ana too the Aam Aadmi Party had sealed the AAP has shunned its own ideology and workers that “People have been assuring
an alliance with the newly formed Jan- brazenly sought to hanker after Congress us that in the ‘small election’ for Delhi Vid-
nayak Janata Party, which contested seven and tied up with Om Parkash Chautala’s han Sabha, they will vote in the name of
seats, and AAP three. The two parties came grandson in Haryana. That showed that the incredible work we have done in Delhi.
croppers. In Punjab, most leaders like Dr. AAP could enter into an alliance with any Our ground impact on education, health,
Dharamvir Gandhi, who had created his- water, electricity, pensions, doorstep de-
tory by defeating Praneet Kaur, the wife livery of 7- government services and basic
of the present chief minister, Capt Ama- The lone winner is amenities in underdeveloped colonies
rinder Singh, left AAP and contested as a have made it possible for us to proudly en-
candidate of Punjab Democratic Demo- Bhagwant Mann who gage in conversations with the public.”
cratic Alliance and lost in 2019. The lone raised many burning If AAP does not act fast and realize its
winner is Bhagwant Mann who raised own folly, then the party would be writing
many burning issues in Parliament and issues in Parliament and its own obituary. Like a phoenix that rises
neither Congress nor SAD-BJP could stop neither Congress nor from its ashes, the AAP will have to intro-
his from emerging victorious. The last- spect hard to rise from the ashes before its
minute pleading with Congress leadership SAD-BJP could stop him too late.
in Delhi, Punjab, and Haryana also did lot
of damage to AAP. Ironically this was the from emerging victorious letters@tehelka.com

Tehelka / 15 June 2019 9 www.Tehelka.com