AAP Blows it once again - TOI

AAP should have stayed in delhi and this year easily won Haryana, Maharashtra and Punjab by elections.

First they wasted a ton of supporter money in LS elections and now by not fighting at right places, growth would be hurt.

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Aam Aadmi Party’s national convenor, Arvind Kejriwal, says the party will not contest forthcoming assembly elections on account of a paucity of resources even though party workers in states headed for polls want to contest. For sure, Delhi is where it presents a significant challenge to other political outfits. Paucity of resources, however, did not deter AAP from branching out in the Lok Sabha election. Now, after having established a ground presence in pockets outside Delhi, AAP once again has chosen to change tactics on flimsy grounds.

AAP has had a meteoric rise despite an incoherent worldview and limited resources because it brought something new to Indian politics. The manner in which it inspired volunteers to campaign, particularly during the Delhi assembly elections, earned it grudging respect from political rivals. In AAP, disparate voters were offered an opportunity to support a party which showed that the toxic link between black money and elections could be broken. In one stroke, Kejriwal now seeks to undo the gains to the political process by restricting AAP’s electoral presence. The party’s impact has not been on account of an ideological breakthrough or fresh ideas to solve problems. Relentless public focus on election funding and corruption is where AAP’s influence shows up.

AAP may not be in a position to fare well in forthcoming assembly elections. However, a political party can influence policies without being in power. Articulating issues that older parties ignore is, in itself, a powerful way to influence public policy. However, that requires constant engagement with voters. It is constant engagement that helps a political party to move on from mouthing empty slogans to one that has a concrete work plan. This cannot come about in fits and starts. Sadly, AAP has chosen to miss an opportunity to deepen its influence. more