AAP without AK: Resurrection Impossible

PM Modi’s AK-49 turned 46 on August 16! For those who have forgotten his campaign speeches after the latest trending I-day speech, the reference is to none other than Arvind Kejriwal, convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). With the party demanding fresh elections in the state of Delhi and having re-launched its door-to-door campaigns, it’s pretty obvious what AK would have wished for on his birthday.

            But given the kind of reactions coming from his party members, fulfillment of his birthday wish seems extremely dicey.

Kejriwal at his first rally at Jantar Mantar after the Lok Sabha polls

            Just to remind, while one of the founder members of the party, Shanti Bhushan questioned his organizational skills, Rajesh Garg MLA from Rohini remarked that merely 25 out of the 27 MLAs were in favour of contesting fresh elections. He further added that they were afraid of speaking against “the high command” of the party.

            More than anything else, it is phrases like this which render substance to the voices alluding that a coterie runs the party and the so-called lack of internal democracy. While the party was quick to put up a united front and back AK and his leadership, the damage has been done. For a party already facing questions like-“Will you run away again?”, this is certainly not a healthy sign. It is more so a wake-up call. To heed or not to heed is certainly again up to the same “high command”.

            While the high-handedness of this high command may render the party as hypocritical, if one tries to see the reasons behind this plight of AAP, one would realize that it’s not merely AK or his vazirs but also the variance that AAP members entail.

            The AAP is not like BJP-woven by the shared ideology of the Sangh Parivaar. It is certainly not like the Congress, with a historical legacy to boast. While one can argue that the Congress of today is also a party with multiple voices, it still has one common thread tying it-that every member of the grand old party hails-the Gandhi family.

            To be honest, comparing AAP with the BJP or the Congress seems unfair. It’s emergence out of a social movement and subsequent evolution into a political amalgamation of activists, intellectuals, servicemen and a few disgruntled politicians from other parties- brought together a plethora of ideas inter-mingling for a single cause-eradication of corruption. So, it won’t be wrong to assert that AAP was formed for a shared cause rather than on a shared ideology.

            AAP doesn’t really have an ideology. And that doesn’t imply that it doesn’t have the right to exist as a political entity. In fact, its existence underlines the very fact that in a democracy, a hundred ideas can bloom, contest and even win (as the AAP did, seizing 27 seats in the Delhi assembly elections 2013).

            Hence, disproving it off as a political fiasco or a one-time-wonder would only be unfair to the faith shown in the party by the voters. Which also reminds me of the strange ways in which the voter castes her vote. Disgruntlement with the 15-year old Congress rule and the arrival of the AAP idea made her sway to its side.

But the idea of the present has changed!

            And this is the biggest headache for AAP. Its biggest vote-base- the aam aadmi- seems to be swayed by yet another wave! However, riding on the price rise issue and a reinforced focus on campaigning, the party-or at least AK- feels it can sail through another election-whenever it happens.

            Amidst this scenario, Senior Bhushan’s comments come as a blow to the nascent party. The incident only reinforces the need for introspection within its functioning. Rather than questioning AK’s leadership and seeking his replacement, it will be better to try to strengthen and restructure the party’s base.

            While AK might not be the sole voice of the party definitely, he certainly is the first among equals for the party. He was the major drive behind the formation of the political outfit from the IAC movement and has been the main strategist for the party all through. Despite earlier fiascos like his dharna at Rail Bhawan and the ultimate political blunder of resigning from the post of the chief minister of Delhi, imagining AK as the face of the party yet not its leader doesn’t make sense.

            So, as former AAP member Shaziya Ilmi says, senior Bhushan’s comments must be taken very seriously, but the party should try to tackle dissent under AK’s leadership.

This, of course, has to come from his side. Earlier desertions and the apparently growing disconnect within the party mean that a serious problem exists. It can only be tackled through meaningful deliberations between the national executive and other coordinators.

            And all this should be achieved while having AK at the helm. Activism can sometimes lend a dint of stubbornness in one’s personality. This very trait has been AK’s identity in the public eye, it can be suicidal for him if it continues to haunt him amidst the party members, both veteran and young. It is for him to ensure he guides the party and not suffocate the disparate opinions. Consensus after all is the guiding principle for any democracy.  AAP is now a political party of a democratic nation, it must start acting as one now.