Delhi

The Common Man’s Party or AAP came to power just 49 days ago when they won the recent Assembly elections in New Delhi. They created an anti-corruption line which receives thousands of calls every day. This new party promises to end corruption from public life. But now they have decided to resign.

A jubilant crowd cheers as New Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announces his resignation. The AAP Party’s exit from power is as dramatic as was its decision to form government in Delhi 49 days ago. Kejriwal and his entire cabinet decided to quit after the Delhi Assembly voted down the anti-corruption law.

“The anti-corruption law is the very foundation of our party. And if we are not being allowed to present it for a debate and get it passed then what is the point in being in power? And we have not been able to get it through is because we don’t have a majority in the assembly. So resign and we will go back to people and if they are interested they will support us and bring us back with majority.”

The anti-corruption law was one of AAP’s main election promises. They had pledged to introduce it within a month after they took power in Delhi. But AAP is not the majority and the Congress Party and the opposition BJP voted against the bill. Ravishankar Prasad is spokesperson for the opposition BJP.

“The BJP was all for the anti-corruption law but there were some procedures that needed to be followed. It would have taken just a few, more days to follow the procedure and get the law passed. But he insisted on an illegal route because that gave him the perfect opportunity and excuse to escape. He knew that he can’t fulfill the promises he made to the people of Delhi. They were all hollow promises and from the very first day he was looking for an escape route.”

The Congress Party that helped the AAP to come to power is also equally furious. Sandeep Dixit is a senior Congress Party leader. “The basis of our support to Kejriwal was only that we wanted a secular government in Delhi. But what we witnessed all this while was a mess of governance. He was never interested in running the government he only wanted to create a drama and hoodwink people – no work, no responsibility -- only noise, this has always been his way and this is what he has done now.”

Less than a year old AAP emerged as a surprise winner in the Assembly election in December last year.

The party won 40% of the seats and formed government with support from the Congress Party. In less than two months in power the AAP fulfilled some of its key election promises like providing free water and cheaper electricity. It also launched an anti-corruption help line that evoked tremendous public response

Kejriwal says the Congress Party and the BJP came together against the anti-corruption law just because they want to protect the corrupt amongst them. “They knew how I had made life difficult for the corrupt people with a little anti-corruption branch. They feared that with a strong anti-corruption legislation the government will further intensify its crackdown on the corrupt and many of them might land in jail. So they ganged up to make sure that the bill is defeated.”

Many AAP supporters like Vikas Kumar are not happy with Kejriwal’s decision to quit. “Yes the anti-corruption law is important but it is not the only issue we are facing. Many other problems and he could have addressed them the way he did in the case of water and electricity. It’s true that he was working under difficult conditions but to run away from your responsibilities like this is not the solution.”

Meanwhile the AAP has begun preparations for both the Assembly and Parliamentary elections to be held shortly. The Party has just issued first list of candidates for 20 parliamentary constituencies and has plans to field candidates from all over the country. Analysts like Sangeeta Sharma see the resignation as a smart decision with an eye on the national stage.

“The general elections are approaching and they desperately need an issue to attract voters at the national level because whatever they did so far can woo Delhi voters but it can’t work at the national level. Under the current circumstances there can’t be any better issue than corruption and that’s exactly why they have adopted this confrontational posture, it’s definitely going to heat up the political atmosphere and advantage them.”