Aap, mein or tu

The Aam Aadmi party or the “you” which is what aap means in Hindi has brought about a complex future in Delhi and even other parts of the country. The BJP as the single largest party in Delhi does not have the majority in the house and the AAP as a close second does not have the numbers as well. The BJP has surprised many by saying that it is willing to be in the opposition. This is very unlikely of a national party be it the BJP or Congress and the history of post election periods in many states of the country are witness to this.

The stand of AAP is perhaps justified. They will either run a government on their own or sit in the opposition. Another election may also lead to AAP coming to power by themselves as they will be taken seriously by the people of Delhi a second time round. So what they are doing actually makes sense from their point of view.

The Congress is at a historic new. After 15 years in power, they are no where. They could offer unconditional support to the AAP and say that come what may they will support from outside. The question is whether the Congress could ever offer such support and whether AAP will accept support from the party they fought against.

An outside Congress support for the coming to power of AAP makes sense because that will lead to a stable government and the negation of another election which would lead to waste of money of the exchequer. This has been a model followed in other countries where different political party’s come together to take the country forward and do away with insecurity and uncertainty.

The BJP may not come forward because they may see a better chance in another election together with the Lok Sabha election, which may give it a clear majority. The waiting game being played could be for the AAP to come to power with Congress support and then for the BJP to reiterate that the AAP is an off shoot of the Congress. The Congress has not much to play with. A meagre 5 seats and the loss of their Chief Minister Sheila Dixit does not leave the Congress with much. The AAP has carved a separate section for themselves. This is a political party which is marketing itself as non-corrupt and willing to fight corruption and take up the local problems of the people. Going along with the BJP or Congress may lead to a campaign against AAP by vested interests saying that they are the same as the BJP and Congress.

The performance of AAP has lead to a peculiar vacuum in Delhi and the ripples are being felt in other parts of the country. Their unique way of campaigning whereby they could reach out to rural and urban voters and how they used various forms of the media to reach out to people has opened up the political sphere. The stability being sought may not come about easily. Maybe we need uncertainty and a peculiar vacuum which will lead the people to think what they really want and what is important for them. Till then the BJP and AAP may continue to say “Pehle Aap” (first you or after you).

"First they laugh at you/Then they challenge you/Then they watch you succeed/Then they wish they were you."