New roses in India: Aam Admi Arvind Kejriwal assumes power as Delhi CM, again!
-Dr. Abdul Ruff
______________
Surely, Indian politics is in for dramatic changes in the years to come. People of Delhi state have showcased the new political trend taking shape in the country.
I
Aam Admi Arvind Kejriwal assumes power as Delhi CM for second time on February 15. Exactly one year after he quit over the Jan Lokpal issue, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal took oath at the historic Ramlila Ground as the eighth Chief Minister of Delhi, after leading AAP to a stupendous victory in the assembly polls by winning 67 out of 70 seats and obtaining above than 50% of total votes polled. AAP won by trouncing PM Modi’s BJP and decimating Sonia’s Congress, the senior most national party that ruled Delhi state consecutively for three terms.
Delhi Governor Lt Gen Najeeb Jung reached Ramlila Ground in New Delhi for the swearing-in ceremony of newly elected government led by Arvind Kejriwal. Accompanied by Manish Sisodia, Kejriwal arrives at Ramlila ground for swearing-in ceremony of his own AAP tram
Historical Ramlila Maidan is in a festive mood, completely ready to welcome the grand swearing-in ceremony of Aam Aadmi Party Chief Arvind Kejriwal as the new CM and his team. People are pouring in large numbers. There is sea of people wearing AAP’s white topi from one end to other. Simultaneously, there’s a massive security cover wth personnel from Delhi Police, BSF, CRPF, SSB etc.
46-year-old Kejriwal, who declared the AAP victory as victory of Delhiites, in a radio message, had already invited people of Delhi to his swearing in ceremony at the Ramlila ground –the protest venue of the anti-graft campaign over three years ago.
There was massive sloganeering welcoming Kejriwal. The crowds at Ramlila Maidan roar as Arvind Kejriwal entered Ramlila Maidan while the live band played the national anthem. Chief Secretary D.M. Spolia announced that the President has appointed Arvind Kejriwal as the Delhi Chief Minister. After Kejriwal’s swearing in, his close confidant Manish Sasodia took oath as Delhi’s Deputy CM, followed by Asim Ahmed Khan and Sandeep Kumar. Another AAP leader Satyendra Jain has made it for the second time. All others are first time MLAs -Jitendra Tomar, Gopal Rai, Sandeep Kumar and Asim Ahmed Khan- who are now a part of the Kejriwal cabinet. Shahdara MLA Ramniwas Goel could be the Speaker of the Assembly while Bandana Kumari, from Shalimar Bag constituency, will be Deputy Speaker, AAP sources said.
Arvind Kejriwal in speech after taking oath said, “I knew people of Delhi love me, but didn’t know they love me so much. We have come to power again; God has given us a full majority this time unlike the last time. When the results came, it felt like it was raining seats for us.” “People from every sect, religion, rich, poor everyone voted. God is trying to tell us something,” Kejriwal added.
Arvind Kejriwal’s speech to Delhi soon after being sworn in as Chief Minister 14 February has many subtle messages embedded in it. But fundamentally he was trying to do two things: one was to lower and reset public expectations from him after the overwhelming mandate his party got; and the other was to stake out a future position for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the national arena. The position would be as an alternative to the BJP in the “secular” space. He also said that he was not the CM, but the people were. This may sound humble, but it is essentially meaningless beyond the apparent humility of the statement. The people are not going to do his job for him. He knows he has to deliver.
Kejriwal knows the life of Delhiites pretty well, he is a quick learner. He has learnt from his mistakes of February 2014, and also from Modi’s mistakes in recent months. One of the reasons for the BJP’s fall was the super-high expectations from the Modi government and the Prime Minister’s inability to lower them. Barely three months after he took over, Modi was taken to task for alleged non-delivery on promises: where was the black money he promised to bring back and where was the “achche din” he had talked about so eloquently during the campaign? This was a subtle putdown of Modi, who yesterday summoned the Delhi police chief to crack down on those who may be attacking churches.
II
Halting the Modi juggernaut, AAP scored a landslide victory in the election by snatching 67 of the 70 seats after steamrolling BJP leaving it with only three seats and decimating Congress which drew a blank.
A mix of symbolism and pragmatic straight talk marked the post swearing in address of Arvind Kejriwal at Ramlila Maidan. Kejriwal said that it was conceit that was responsible for the decimation of the Congress. He added that the BJP too had begun to suffer from arrogance, especially after the massive mandate that the people gave it in May 2014.As the anti-corruption crusader took oath for the second time at the same venue, which hosts the symbolic destruction of ego and arrogance every Dussehra with the burning of the effigy of king Ravana at the hands of Lord Rama every year, he reminded his party colleagues and followers to keep away from both human weaknesses. He cleverly put the onus of granting statehood to Delhi on the BJP, the ruling party at the Centre, by saying that the BJP had been trying for full statehood for Delhi for the last 15 years. “If egotism over-powers us, we won’t be able to achieve our mission.”
Delhi’s AAP government will pursue allegations of corruption against ex-Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and industrialist Mukesh Ambani and others, Deputy Chief Minister-designate Manish Sisodia said on Friday. All the cases that were registered last year during Kejriwal government’s 49-day stint “will be pursued”, Sisodia said. Sisodia, who had been asked whether the FIRs lodged by the AAP government last year against Mukesh Ambani, the then Petroleum Minister M Veerappa Moily as also allegations against Dikshit would be pursued, responded “yes, definitely”.
The then Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had ordered filing of an FIR on February 11 last year against Moily, his predecessor Murli Deora, who is dead now, and RIL Chief Mukesh Ambani for alleged collusion in hike of prices in natural gas from the KG basin. The then AAP government had also ordered a probe into street light purchase scam during the Commonwealth Games of 2010 in which Dikshit’s role had come under the scanner. Deputy CM Sisodia said the AAP government will “revive” the cases that have been put in cold storage and take them to a “logical conclusion”. On its key poll promise of slashing power tariff by 50%, Sisodia said it would be done “as soon as possible”.
Alleging wide-spread corruption in the power sector, Sisodia said the new government would force the power distribution companies to give all their financial details to the CAG that is probing their accounts. The CAG audit into the finances of the private power distribution companies was ordered by the Kejriwal government last year.
In its manifesto, AAP had promised to cut power tariff by 50% immediately after coming to power and said the rates will be revised based on the findings of the CAG audit. “CAG audit into the discoms is already going on. We will force them to give all the details to the CAG,” Sisodia said.
Sisodia said the AAP government will also soon announce 20 kilolitres (20,000 litres) of free water to every household per month as per its promise. The previous AAP government had introduced the free water scheme but it was discontinued after it quit. “We will bring back the free water scheme which was discontinued after we quit the government as water is basic right,” he said. Asked how the new AAP government will tackle the ‘VIP culture’ of the rich and corporates’, he said “all the Ministers will ride ordinary cars”. The AAP government will be a government of simplicity. Not even the Chief Minister will use red-beacon or hooters on his official car. The Ministers may avail government accommodation but not huge bungalows. They will take normal salary and will not travel with huge security contingents,” he said.
CPI (M) General Secretary Prakash Karat, who along with West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee had asked Delhiites to vote for AAP, termed Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) victory in the Delhi Assembly polls as “stupendous”, said that the results are not only a “total” rejection of BJP but also the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said that the results have also shown that people are ready to vote for “viable” alternatives apart from Congress and BJP. Karat added that in the Delhi polls, minorities voted for AAP in a “big way” as they see the party as a viable force which can fight BJP.
In fact, in their effort to keep BJP and Congress out of power in Delhi, the Left parties had extended support to AAP and asked their supporters to vote in favour Arvind Kejriwal-led party on all seats, barring the 15 seats in which all seven Left parties had jointly fielded their candidates.
Kejriwal would continue to target both BJP and Congress. While demanding full statehood for Delhi, he also hinted that he would not be in a rush to fault the Centre on this issue or on the DDA or the police.
Indian minorities look beyond Congress and regional parties not just for protection but for a credible alternative and AAP they found to be genuine party to ensure that. There is a signal of Kejriwal’s intent to position AAP in the secular space occupied by the Congress so far.
III
Maybe a mere coincidence, but it seems by way of recognising the AAP rising to power in Delhi, President Pranab Mukherjee opened Mughal Gardens to the public. Udyanotsav is a month long festival from February 14-March 15, 2015 wherein public is allowed to visit Mughal gardens when the flowers are their best. The floral event is extremely popular and had recorded 5.84 lakh foot fall in one month in 2014.Tulips, an inseparable part of Kashmir’s beauty, are a favourite of President Pranab Mukherjee who came out to Mughal Gardens for the first time this season today to witness the manicured lawns which will open for public from tomorrow.
Mukherjee, who took a stroll in the gardens, was enamoured by roses which are also a key attraction of the lawns which has 120 varieties of the flower. The special roses include Green Rose and Angelique. Nearly 40 fragrant varieties include Belami, Black Lady, Double Delight, Eiffel Tower, Granada, Jadis, Lincoln, Sadabahar and Taj Mahal. The 139-hectare area of Mughal gardens will showcase 120 varieties of roses, 70 varieties of seasonal flowers, 2,500 dahlias, 250 bonsai plants, 80 varieties of cactus along with flowers like Calendula, Gerbera, Linaria, Larkspur, Gaznia, Verbena, Viola, Pansy Carnation, Chrysanthemum, Marigold and Salvia which line the symmetric pavements of the gardens. Besides flowers, skill and craft of Rashtrapati Bhavan gardeners will be on display in the form of floral carpets in magnificent designs.
Let the popular AAP make Delhi state a city of multicolor roses with people living without hardships, without difficult conditions. Once CM Kejriwal, the hero of Delhi, fulfills the poll promises he made to Delhiites life in the capital would change drastically.
Let Kejriwal plant similar colorful roses all over India! He has got 5 full years to fulfill the pledges. Time starts now.
Kejriwal has the additional advantage of being CM of Delhi, which is also the seat of the central government. Whatever he does in Delhi he will be visible to the world.
But this is also a disadvantage. If he makes mistakes, they will also be magnified.
A humble Kejriwal who demolished the mighty BJP and the large image of its strongest leader Modi is no ordinary person.
___________
Kashmir International 