Syed Nazakat writes: He’s known as India’s corruption buster. And now Arvind Kejriwal, a youthful-looking former tax inspector and winner pf Asia’s equivalent of the Nobel Prize, has pulled off a stunning near-sweep In New Delihi’s local elections.
The Aam Aadmi, or “Common Man,” party won 67 of 70 seats in New Delhi, the largest single victory ever in India’s capital. The party’s victory also marks the first major loss for the Hindu nationalist BJP party since its own sweep of India last spring, which brought Prime Minister Narendra Modi to power.
The scale of victory for the young, idealistic party that champions local needs – including clean water, electricity, and security for women, as well as a “clean hands” anti-graft agenda – suggests the lure of Mr. Modi’s BJP is not necessarily a deep one. The loss is being called the end of Modi’s honeymoon less than two weeks after he hosted US President Obama.
The Common Man party’s popular majority of 54 percent shows that Kejriwal’s support appears to transcend class and religious categories, though whether he can transcend Delhi politics and exercise power outside the capital remains unclear.
This is the first time Congress, the venerable party associated with the liberation movement of Mohandas Gandhi, failed to win a single seat in Delhi. AAP stunned India in 2013 by winning 28 seats in Delhi and defeating the ruling Congress party. Kejriwal then clashed with the federal government over an anti-corruption bill and walked out of office less than two months later. He has since apologized and vows not to leave again.
The success of the Common Man party stems from its sustained campaign against corruption combined with a dedicated army of volunteers.
Kejriwal existed for years under the political radar in India, surfacing from time to time to take up “transparency” issues like clarifying the Right to Information Act.
Kejriwal entered politics in 2012 and championed transparency and anti-corruption. He launched a party that brought together activists, youth, and poor people, and his anti-graft ideas caused a stir nationwide.
Those close to Kejriwal say the tipping point in his career came when he joined forces with Anna Hazare, an anti-corruption crusader. While Ms. Hazare did not join politics, Kejriwal launched the AAP as an alternative to mainstream national political parties.
