AAP was born when Cong ruled Delhi and UPA 2 at Centre. Now BJP is both at the centre and Delhi. The question is whether the AAP has the same energy, back up volunteers and wherewithal to reinvent itself.
For the saffron party, since it’s coming to the Gaddi in Delhi under Modi, Delhi state elections was the toughest challenge. It won everywhere but was eluded by Delhi, it grounded all opponents but surrendered to the AAP. Even in 2017 , just three years after the 2014 saffron tsunami thar swept the country, the Delhi voters remained unfazed, stayed loyal to Kejriwal. It’s a massive embarrassment for the BJP.
Perhaps, the party’s thundering victory against the almighty BJP, and it’s subsequent success in the Punjab polls, brought in complacency in the party cadres or made the leadership more ambitious. Perhaps, the party started losing its strong grassroots connect.
For years together Kejriwal and the senior AAP leaders repeated the same lines- better government schools, mohalla clinics etc. Nothing noticeably new was uttered by them.
It’s understandable that given the limitations of its power, the Delhi administration and the perennial rift between the LG and Delhi government, AAP s administration walked on the tight rope. But the voters don’t understand all this.
Most importantly, the BJP was armed with its media power, something the AAP lacked entirely.
Kejriwal, his trusted ex deputy CM and a few other senior AAP leaders have served jail sentences with multiple cases. It will take time before the courts declare the verdict, however, with the media hounding constantly and a supercharged social media, an impression has, it seems, been created in the minds of the voters, that Kejriwal was no anti corruption messiah and his party is as corrupt as any. Perhaps that dimmed the AAPs prospects and cost Kejriwal, Sisodia and some heavyweights their seats.
