Seeking public opinion: Is Arvind Kejriwal running a reality show?

Is

running a reality show? The latest stand taken by the Aam Aadmi Party (

) leader about going to the people again to seek a direct mandate on whether it should form the government in

with the

's support makes it look so.

If Kejriwal is looking to seek public mandate again, what was the public doing on December 4? It is being read in various media that the AAP is practising a new-age politics. The idea of the AAP might be new in India but not for democracy and neither is the plan of seeking people's mandate directly. What Kejriwal is precisely practising a high-level of populist politics for it is clearly struggling to counter the Congress and the BJP, two national parties, in the political game.

The Congress did not waste any time after seeing the AAP undecided to take a clear stand on the government formation and threw its unconditional support. The BJP too played its part by declining to form the government citing its lack of majority in the assembly and wanted to be in the opposition.

Parties put condition for giving support. The AAP is doing the opposite

The two parties' well-calculated moves put the AAP, suffering from a moral dilemma, on the hot seat and finding no other way, the common man's party pushed the ball into the people's court. There is nothing direct democracy in it. It is a desperate ploy by the party to save the day. Strange indeed, for it was supposed to revel in its success in the assembly poll and not struggle to find a way out of confusion.

But by doing all this, the AAP is basically proving its vulnerability and immaturity when it comes to executing purely political moves. It is unfortunate that the party doesn't know what to do with a substantial mandate and is clueless about its next step. If government formation is such a hefty task for Kejriwal and his team, how much can they deliver on key issues of governance? And that too across the nation?

Questions over Kejriwal's seaking a new mandate

The idea of seeking a fresh mandate has some related questions.

First, why should the people of Delhi vote again informally, just because the parties are not being able to settle the issue of government formation?

Secondly, how will the AAP decide quantitatively that the majority of the people support it?

Thirdly, the AAP targets 25 lakh people so should 13 lakh should back it forming the government with the Congress's support? And why those people who have voted against it in the December 4 elections would vote again to clear the AAP's confusion? Is the party more important than the democracy? It is also strange to see that while parties generally set conditions for giving support, the AAP is setting conditions for taking support.

Fourthly, even if Kejriwal forms a government with the Congress's support, should he run to the people every time there is a crisis in the government? How will governance be run like that?

Finally, what if the re-polling through technical media is sabotaged? In many reality shows, charges of sabotage are often made. Will the results count then or Kejriwal will seek a third-time mandate?

The AAP, like some of the issue-based parties of the west, have no idea about the complexities of Indian politics. The theory that the AAP has started a style of politics beyond the identity factor is completely misleading. The party has contested only from Delhi, a rootless city, and has limited geographical presence. The worth of its 'fresh brand of politics' will be proved only if comes out with flying colours in states like Uttar Pradesh.

Till then, it's just another reality show being seen on non-entertainment channels.