(Image source from: Why Aam Aadmi Party won?)
Victory of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in New Delhi election buttons down to one big truth - India is all set for a big change! A democratic revolution, the triumph of Arvind Kejriwal and his gang in the latest New Delhi State Assembly Elections reveal how urban India is over-and-done with muscle and money, and now all it needs is honesty and transparency in Indian politics. The rising of AAP in Delhi turns the conventional wisdom - politics ain't a place of good people - on its head, and ascertains that the time for the real political uprising has come. Here's how AAP won the heart of New Delhi, and country at large.
A Man of Steel
Arvind Kejriwal has showed the world what a real 'David' is made of - dauntless courage. Just like little David displayed doughty courage on the face of Goliath, for the first timer Kejriwal it was no different as he waged a war against Congress giant Sheila Dikshit, New Delhi's chief minister for the last 15 years. Even though Kejriwal had the option to contest from an additional seat, a safer seat, he decided not to play safe, but take on the corrupt Congress by its horns. And people respected that.
A Man of Principles
While both Congress and BJP talk a lot about probity in public life, when it comes to elections, all they care about is cinching the seats by hook or 'crook'. But, Arvind Kejriwal showed he is a man of strong conviction and stands by what he says by withdrawing support from one of his party candidates, just four days before the poll, after he was found to have a tainted past. That is because Aam Aadmi Party cared for the principles it espoused.
Honesty pays
Arvind Kejriwal and his party members were out to various public and private investigations. Even Anna Hazare came out of his Ralegan Siddhi home to question AAP's integrity. But Arvind was undeterred and offered enough evidence to prove his honesty and party transparency. Shazia Ilmi, the journalist-turnd-politician, who lost by a whsiker, withdrew her candidature when she was caught on tape accepting she would accept money. She came back in the fray only when the tapes were found to be edited to frame her. People saw it all. And backed AAP. Because honesty matters.
Youth matters
While most political parties only offer lip service to youth and never the big tickets, as they think politics is a game of intrigue that only the veterans understand, Arvind Kejriwal, valued the young supporters as much as the 'youth' candidates. The result is for all to see. The youngest member of the Delhi Assembly will be only 25. And there are many more. Others said youth mattered. Arvind Kejriwal showed them how.
People matters
And finally, while both the Congress and the BJP talk about pro-people policies, they never do anything about it. But for Arvind Kejriwal, everything, right from corruption to expensive electricity to civic amenities were issues that he championed for. Assembly elections are not fought on Rahul vs Modi issue, but people vs the system issue. BJP, the bigger and the older, was supposed to lead the narrative but ended up following the younger and the bolder AAP.
AW: Suchorita Dutta Choudhury
