Monday, 21 April 2014

People’s Participation in Politics, The 

Emergence of AAP & Its Future – An Eye 

Opener


Thanks to intense scrutiny by media, politicians and politics have come to the centre stage. Soul stirring speeches no longer impress the discerning voter. They want decisive action not words. The Congress led UPA has been plagued my massive corruption. Tainted leaders being taken to task by the apex court. TV and print tearing their credibility to shreds.
It was amid this gloom and boom that Gandhian Anna Hazare and his campaign for Lokpal. The rousing public support rattled political parties. The AAP was an offshoot of the public against a corrupt system. So Arvind Kejriwal entered the Delhi pll fray a year back riding the Anna wave, no one prepared for what was unfold. He was pitted against Congress heavyweight Sheila Dikshit. The Congress and BJP scoffed at the new kid on the block. Kejriwal had his finger on the pulse of the Aam Admi. He took on powerful politicians and corporate houses. He promised to tame errant power DISCOMs, bring down power tariffs, provide free water etc.
The public responded with gusto. They felt empowered. They were all part of the AAP brigade. The results stunned politicians and poll pundits. AAP made the mighty Dikshit bite the dust. Even NaMo and BJP were rattled.  This was nothing short of a political Tsunami. An unknown party without the financial and political clout of the big two, gave the people hope. It gave a whole new dimension the concept of people’s power. Suddenly Kejriwal was the talk of town. The media loved him. Parties suddenly have started screening candidates. Tainted candidates are being dropped like rotten apples. Of late the AAP movement has lost a little momentum. Trying to do too much too soon its taking its toll. Kejriwal seems to be in a tearing hurry. In the process he is making rash decisions. He is no longer the blue eyed boy of the media. He even blamed a section of media for being hand-in-glove with big political parties. Even took on India’s biggest corporate honcho.
Latest opinion polls indicate he is losing ground even in Delhi. AAP needs to slow down, go back to the drawing board. It has opened Pandora’s Box.     

 SIMONTINI BHATTACHARJEE
M.Sc. Media Science, P.G 1

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