Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party has swept the Delhi elections sparing just three seats for the BJP and nothing for the Congress, out of a total of 70 seats. One of the numerous messages that came out consequent to the elections that I found to be the cutest was and I quote, "My Tata Nano has more seats than the BJP".
Many reasons have been cited and discussed threadbare on the media by now and hence, I shan't dwell upon it. But it's my firm belief that the following factors had a decisive bearing:-
(a) Modi's expensive, monogrammed suit.
Even Modi might not have realised as to how costly the suit that he wore, during the meeting with
Obama, would prove to be at the Delhi hustings. And no, I wouldn't go by the argument that he, by
doing so, had alienated the poor. In fact the poorest of the poor would aspire to wear good clothes
if economics permit, but here, the reason was far more sinister. The high heeled society and the
middle class could not accept the fact that a mere 'chaaiwala' was wearing such flashy clothes when
the very same people would have justified it if, say, Rahul Gandhi had worn it. A typical Indian
mindset that cannot be wished away. (Incidentally, Tavleen Singh, the noted journalist has set the
record straight by saying that Modi was gifted the suit by some textile friend of his).
(b) The government office goers' changed loyalties.
It's but a sad fact that the government office goers of our country are a miserably corrupt lot. They'd
do anything under the sun to get a job and once having got it, think that they've the liberty to do
anything that suits them on a personal level. Coming late, spending long hours on worthless
discussions over endless cups of tea, skipping office hours to do personal work, accepting bribes to
move files and leaving office much earlier are a few of the shenanigans that they indulge in. These
have been restricted thanks to Modi's diktat and they're chaffing against the leash. The entire block,
including the bureaucrats, voted to teach the BJP a lesson. A similar phenomenon had taken place
soon after the 'emergency'. Remember?
(c) Modi's deafening silence on the incidents that threatened the minorities.
Be it the 'ghar waapasis' or the attacks on the churches, the silence on the part of the PM has not
gone well with the people. He needs to assure every Indian that no harm would befall them under
his watch. The entire minority vote went to the AAP, consequentially, as they're an untried entity!
All the other factors cited by the media and the political pundits definitely contributed to the electoral success of the AAP but as I'd said in my opening remarks, it's these three that were the most critical of them all.
And why's it good in the nation's overall interest?
I'm glad that the Delhi results have turned out this way because:-
(a) Modi will work towards making his poll promises with renewed vigour, failing which, he
knows that the people will lose faith in his leadership.
(b) The RSS and the Hindu fringe groups would rein in themselves and allow Modi to deliver upon
his promises. They must have realised that the ordinary Indian didn't care a damn, if his
neighbour was a Christian or a Muslim or for that matter, from any minority so long as they
were staunch Indians!
Tailpiece.
On the flip side, it would be suicidal for the AAP to forge electoral alliances with the other political parties in the name of edging out the BJP in the forthcoming assembly elections of Bihar, UP or West Bengal. I'd underline that as a sure recipe for disaster!
Many reasons have been cited and discussed threadbare on the media by now and hence, I shan't dwell upon it. But it's my firm belief that the following factors had a decisive bearing:-
(a) Modi's expensive, monogrammed suit.
Even Modi might not have realised as to how costly the suit that he wore, during the meeting with
Obama, would prove to be at the Delhi hustings. And no, I wouldn't go by the argument that he, by
doing so, had alienated the poor. In fact the poorest of the poor would aspire to wear good clothes
if economics permit, but here, the reason was far more sinister. The high heeled society and the
middle class could not accept the fact that a mere 'chaaiwala' was wearing such flashy clothes when
the very same people would have justified it if, say, Rahul Gandhi had worn it. A typical Indian
mindset that cannot be wished away. (Incidentally, Tavleen Singh, the noted journalist has set the
record straight by saying that Modi was gifted the suit by some textile friend of his).
(b) The government office goers' changed loyalties.
It's but a sad fact that the government office goers of our country are a miserably corrupt lot. They'd
do anything under the sun to get a job and once having got it, think that they've the liberty to do
anything that suits them on a personal level. Coming late, spending long hours on worthless
discussions over endless cups of tea, skipping office hours to do personal work, accepting bribes to
move files and leaving office much earlier are a few of the shenanigans that they indulge in. These
have been restricted thanks to Modi's diktat and they're chaffing against the leash. The entire block,
including the bureaucrats, voted to teach the BJP a lesson. A similar phenomenon had taken place
soon after the 'emergency'. Remember?
(c) Modi's deafening silence on the incidents that threatened the minorities.
Be it the 'ghar waapasis' or the attacks on the churches, the silence on the part of the PM has not
gone well with the people. He needs to assure every Indian that no harm would befall them under
his watch. The entire minority vote went to the AAP, consequentially, as they're an untried entity!
All the other factors cited by the media and the political pundits definitely contributed to the electoral success of the AAP but as I'd said in my opening remarks, it's these three that were the most critical of them all.
And why's it good in the nation's overall interest?
I'm glad that the Delhi results have turned out this way because:-
(a) Modi will work towards making his poll promises with renewed vigour, failing which, he
knows that the people will lose faith in his leadership.
(b) The RSS and the Hindu fringe groups would rein in themselves and allow Modi to deliver upon
his promises. They must have realised that the ordinary Indian didn't care a damn, if his
neighbour was a Christian or a Muslim or for that matter, from any minority so long as they
were staunch Indians!
Tailpiece.
On the flip side, it would be suicidal for the AAP to forge electoral alliances with the other political parties in the name of edging out the BJP in the forthcoming assembly elections of Bihar, UP or West Bengal. I'd underline that as a sure recipe for disaster!
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