People are getting mixed signals from AAP campaign. Many believe that the Aam Aadmi Party is yet to be tried and tested. How will they impact the polls is a wild guess to be made. But the icebreaking question which the people and the political leaders are trying to find out is as to who will gain or lose, or what would be the magnitude of the gain or loss or who will have the last laugh.
Towards the fag end of the campaign the sting on its funding has certainly disparaged the euphoria that was created behind anti-corruption crusade led by Arvind Kejriwal. Otherwise, AAP was most likely to emerge as a phenomenon in Indian polity. Has AAP missed its political bandwagon of distinct identity? If the allegation turns out to be true that in no way the party can claim to be more transparent than others. No doubt, with the help of Jan Lokpal Bill the anti-corruption crusaders touched the nerves of the common man on the streets. But the bifurcation of the people involved in the campaign not only harmed the real issue but also weaken their approach and connectivity with the people. Earlier, the impression people gathered from their onslaught against corruption was not less than the idea of a new India in the making.
Simantini Krishnan in his article, “The AAP Factor in 2014”, in The Statesman, on 22 November, has written that incumbent Congress government will be hoping to pull off an unlikely win and gather some steam for the battle ahead. The BJP will also hope to emerge on top and send across a powerful signal to its supporters and detectors. However, it is the AAP that may hold the key to realignments ahead of 2014. Its victory could be the butterfly effect needed to overhaul the bipolar perception of Indian politics. However, it is also commonly said that all is well that ends well. No one can for sure say as what could be their benchmark in the years to come. An idea that has transformed the political discourse of AAP was earlier decoded by many and its first impression was gathered from the Hisar election. AAP political chapter began from here and still has a long way to go will be deciphered from the assembly election in Delhi.
Mohammad Asghar, a carpenter by profession, residing at Abul Fazl Enclave in Okhla area of New Delhi, claims that AAP will harm the Congress prospects more than the BJP. There are divergent views on the impact it would have on Congress and BJP. Some say it will harm BJP more and Congress less, while some believe that it will harm Congress more than the BJP. There are also views that AAP will harm both the BJP and Congress but it would be difficult to say how and in what numbers. B.B Choudhary, associated with an NGO in Jamia Nagar feels that AAP is supported by the BJP and it has its root in RSS and therefore it will only cut in Congress vote share. Sultan Salahuddin, who runs AR-RAYYAN TOURS & TRAVELS at Chitli Qabar, in Delhi said that the impact of AAP on Congress and BJP has got diminished by more than 50 per cent because of the recent sting operation. People generally believe such a thing to be true on the first instance. Even if it turns out to be false, the damage has been already done because many would now believe that all parties are alike and everyone wants to make money.
According to Ismail VKT, senior facility manager, Al-Shifa Hospital, the AAP will cut the vote share of the BJP more than the Congress. He further said that no one will be able to get absolute majority as there would be triangular contest and nothing much could be predicted at this point of time. Ismail also said that the sting operation on some of AAP members and candidates is most likely to harm them in one way or the other. In political circles too, AAP has been levelled as Congress B team, or B team of BJP by Congress and BJP. H. Hasan Akbar, president of Janmanas Society, working for social and environmental cause, based at Seelampur has said that the hoopla behind the AAP campaign is less likely to get translated into votes. They may get few seats but not as much as people are thinking. To him, AAP is a sponsored party and it would become crystal clear after the assembly election that what kind of impact it would have in Delhi or elsewhere. Muslims are not very enthusiastic about AAP.
The AAP manifesto for Muslims include: 1. Peace, Justice and equality for Muslims. 2. AAP claims to put an end to fake encounters and false cases against Muslim youth. 3. Improve condition of government schools as poor Muslims send their children to government schools. 4. Provide true second language status for Urdu. 5. It will also provide economic security for those Muslims engaged. 6. The party is eager to bring transparencies in the functioning of Delhi Waqf Board. 7. Resolve the issue of land for graveyards.
In a nutshell, Ajaz Ashraf in his article, “Democracy’s Guerrillas”, in The Hindustan Times on 20 November, has plainly said that if AAP manages a good showing in Delhi, its experiment could spawn a ripple effect in India’s more than 100 urban constituencies. Even if the AAP fails, it still would need to be applauded for endeavouring to restore democratic ideals to the Indian polity.