Kejriwal completes 50 days as CM, sheds 'AK49' tag: But is everything fine yet?
Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal completed 50 days in office on Sunday (though he took some leaves for treatment, yet we are not including that part). The number is significant for Kejriwal since the man could survive just 49 days as the chief minister in his first stint in 2013-14.
He was mocked by opposition leaders for quitting the office in days that followed. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had even named him AK49 (Arvind Kejriwal 49) for his small stay in power. [Endless chaos in AAP: Will Kejriwal be a CM without a party soon?]
How has been the journey of Kejriwal in his second term? Is he a more happy man now? [AAP widens crackdown on dissidents, suspends Punjab leader]
The answer can not be given in the affirmative for sure. Kejriwal though made a huge comeback after his party grabbed 67 of the 70 seats in Delhi assembly in the February election and brought the BJP led by the PM back on the ground, his party started witnessing implosions soon after. [Prashant Bhushan's open letter bomb]
Implosion in the party
Psephologist-politician
Yogendra
Yadav,
who
Kejriwal
had
once
called
his
"valued
colleague" had
a
serious
difference
with
the
latter
along
with
Prashant
Bhushan
and
the
duo
were
ousted
from
various
posts
of
the
party.
Their
followers
were
given
a
shabby
treatment
at
the
party's
National
Executive
meeting
on
March
28.
All
this
happened
after
a
series
of
sting
operations
that
showed
the
other
side
of
Kejriwal,
who
had
so
far
been
using
the
same
weapon
against
his
opponents.
Focus
remains
on
populist
governance
In terms of governance, the AAP's focus has so far been limited to cheap water and electricity for Delhiites, something populist that the party has always promised.
Can the AAP government achieve anything serious if it continues to struggle within itself? Can Kejriwal alone keep things in control if the number of people quitting the party or getting sacked increase with time?
The top leadership of the new party, which is often termed as a new experiment in India's politics, can't hope to deliver on its promises if it doesn't redefine its own role and responsibility. The party thrives too much on moral righteousness and just fighting against corruption is not going to give it much of a mileage. For that is a job of an NGO or a pressure group. For a political party, the range of activism needs to be much broader.