By selecting Atishi Singh, aka Atishi Marlena, as his successor for the Delhi Chief Minister’s position, Aam Aadmi Party boss, Arvind Kejriwal has consciously attempted to thwart plans, if any by the BJP, to launch Operation Lotus in the capital.
The apprehension within the AAP was that the BJP had been in touch with some of its legislators over the past few months and would have tried to entice the new CM, if it had its way on the eve of the Assembly polls. However, Atishi, with her leftist background, was considered by the top leadership as someone who would never drift towards the saffron brigade under any circumstances.
The choice was from amongst the senior functionaries, and Kejriwal did not pick his wife, Sunita, since it would have amounted to serious charges of nepotism directed towards him. He also wanted to revisit his common man image and therefore has decided to give up his dream house on the Flagstaff Road to be an ordinary citizen.
Atishi has a brilliant academic record and has played a major role in shaping the education initiative by her mentor, Manish Sisodia. The AAP’s plus points in the capital include the focus it has given to schools, mohalla clinics and free electricity.
However, the overall position of the party as compared to 2015 and 2020 is not very comfortable, and Kejriwal’s image has taken a beating due to the CBI and ED cases, which his colleagues describe as illegal and politically driven. On his part, Kejriwal has made the campaign very personal and is planning to seek votes with the objective of obtaining a clean chit from the people.
However, it needs to be clarified that it is only the courts which can convict or absolve a person of charges, and these matters cannot be determined in the people’s verdict. Therefore, it is a risky path the AAP supremo has decided to take and if his numbers come down as compared to the previous election, it could also be construed that that many people find him guilty.
It also needs to be understood clearly that Kejriwal is a political entity and his actions are governed by considerations which would keep his own image intact as also take his party towards a hat-trick of victories. His advantage is that the BJP does not have a leader and the Congress which had drawn a nought the last two times, is still trying to organize itself better.
Nevertheless, this does not imply that the AAP was in a very happy position either. Its leaders are confused and are still trying to figure out as to what would be the election planks and talking points in the forthcoming polls. They do not know whether to ask for votes to make Kejriwal the CM again or to stand behind Atishi to give her a full term. Atishi herself stated that the party would want to see Kejriwal as the CM but the question would be asked that how would that change things. What was going to be her role?
The ground situation is that the chain of command has weakened and five AAP members did cross voting for the MCD bodies. In addition, senior legislators are not very happy that they have been ignored by the top leadership, and instead many first time MLAs are being preferred to give plum posts.
The AAP’s primary objective is also to keep its Dalit vote bank intact. One of its leaders who was made a minister defected to the BJP during parliamentary polls. Another senior leader has joined the Congress. The existing Dalit MLAs need re-assurance and unless something is done for them, things could become difficult for AAP.
Another theory that is floating around is that people of the city do not want any confrontation between the state government and the Centre if it leads to no solutions for their problems. The AAP has adopted a confrontationist attitude in the past and if the same continues, it would be detrimental to its interests. People want solutions and not problems.
So far as Atishi is concerned, there are party workers who point out that she does not enjoy much support within her own Kalkaji constituency, from where she had won with a thin margin. It was because of these reasons, that when she went on a Satyagrah, she chose another area and not her own Assembly segment.
The BJP has already described her as a pawn in the hands of Kejriwal and is propagating that she would be remote controlled. The confusion within AAP is also reflected by the fact that on day one, Gopal Rai, a senior minister and founding member had declared that she would be CM for two months but now the party is silent on early polls and is anticipating the elections in February.
Those who are familiar with Kejriwal’s style of functioning, also know that he is not the type who would sit next to the CM and keep silent. He would always speak his mind and thus would remain the central figure, notwithstanding whoever was the head of the government. This attitude could undermine Atishi’s status.
The Congress, which had marginally improved its position in the Lok Sabha polls, has adopted an aggressive posture. It is attacking the AAP and its policies, while simultaneously taking on the BJP. It has to also project a leader for the Assembly polls. The triangular fight suits the AAP at this juncture. Between us.Atishi’s selection to thwart Lotus