Transforming political landscape

Ever since the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party made its entry into national politics on November 26, 2012, it has been making headlines across the country. The political party was established after the immense success of the India Against Corruption campaign in Delhi that rattled the Sheila Dikshit-led Congress government in the National Capital at the time. The political party was founded on the principles of transparency, accountability, and anti-corruption, and the impact of its campaign was such that in the subsequent elections in 2013, the AAP went on to win 28 seats in the 70-seat Delhi assembly.

It was eventually in 2015 that the AAP did the unthinkable by sweeping 67 of the 70 assembly seats in the heart of the country – National Capital of Delhi – and forming its first-ever government within three years of the formation of the party. Since then, it has never looked back and only grown stronger by forming a successive government in Delhi in 2020.

But on April 11 this year, in a historic achievement, the Aam Aadmi Party was granted the status of a National Party by the Election Commission of India. AAP National Convenor and Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal called this achievement “unbelievable, unimaginable and nothing short of magic”. No other political party had achieved such success and became a national party in India within a short span of 10 years.

This achievement is also incredible as the political opponents of the AAP, for a long time, had referred to it as a ‘Delhi-based political party’, and did not see it as a political force in the rest of the country. But its spectacular victory in Punjab last year, followed by electoral successes in Goa and Gujarat, has made the AAP a formidable force that is only likely to get stronger in the coming months and years.

The biggest success of AAP, however, has to be the change in the political narrative that it has brought throughout the country. For decades, the Indian National Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party have dominated Indian politics, leaving little room for smaller parties to make an impact at the national stage. The entry of AAP has brought in the much-needed diversity to the Indian political landscape, and given people faith that a political party can work on the aspirations of the citizens.

AAP’s unique blend of politics and delivery-focused governance has damaged both the traditional parties — the BJP and the Congress. Election manifestos of both the BJP and the Congress in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Gujarat had ideas that AAP once promoted. These people-centric ideas, such as free electricity and free water supply to residents, were, until a few years ago, deemed unfeasible by these political parties as well as other ‘political experts’. But the Aam Aadmi Party, first in Delhi and now in Punjab, has started to bring a positive change in society by developing schools and hospitals and providing essential services to the people free of cost, such as water and electricity. While other political parties may target the AAP by claiming that it indulges in “freebies”, what stands out is that it is able to provide these essential services to the people and yet have a surplus budget in Delhi.

One of the key reasons why the AAP has been successful in India is because it is seen as representing a 'kaam ki rajneeti' agenda and an alternative political ideology, in contrast to BJP's agenda. This has brought tremendous support of the people from across the country towards the Aam Aadmi Party. As the AAP builds itself up in other states and plans to fight the upcoming elections in Karnataka, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, it has become a big headache for the BJP which, due to a weakened Congress party, believed its political bastions to be invincible.

Now as the nation builds up to the crucial Lok Sabha elections of 2024, it has become clear that the AAP is going to be the biggest political force that the ruling BJP-led Central government has to deal with. It is with this in the background, that the BJP has begun targeting the political leadership of the Aam Aadmi Party.

Last year, a couple of months before the state assembly polls for Himachal Pradesh were to be announced, the BJP ensured the arrest of AAP’s Himachal Pradesh in-charge Satyendra Jain in a fake case, and he has been kept in Tihar Jail since then. In February this year, it also arrested senior AAP leader and former Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia in another fake case. This is despite the fact that over 500 police officers of the Central government were used for over a year to collect evidence to prove any misdeed of the Delhi Deputy CM, and yet they did not succeed in doing so.

But it is fairly clear that the closer we get to the Lok Sabha elections of 2024, more leaders of AAP are going to be targeted. Over 1,500 cases have been filed against leaders and party workers of AAP in the last couple of years.

In the last few years, several recent surveys have also shown Arvind Kejriwal as the most preferred opposition face to challenge the dominance of Prime Minister Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2024, and this has further intensified the political rivalry between the two parties. However, the AAP will continue its work in the direction that it has already shown to the people – by providing essential services and ensuring better lives for its citizens. The BJP is free to follow the path it wants to and, ultimately, it will be the citizens of India who will show what kind of politics they want their leaders to take forward in this country.

The writer is Aam Aadmi Party Chief Media Coordinator. Views expressed are personal