Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) before Delhi Election

By RK Rishikesh Sinha

The whole country is reeling under AAP effect ever since the party grabbed seats and made their government in Delhi.  I personally never thought or has a slightest hint that the party will bring a renaissance in the political thought of the Indians.  I failed to read the writings on the walls of purani dilli. However, my wife was quick to sense the AAP tsunami! She not only forcefully persuaded me to become the member of the party. But she tortured me to download the nomination form and print the 10 page application form so that she can place her candidature. Alas! There was a point in the application, that 100 members of the constituency must sign and put their mobile number in the form to support the candidature. There she backtracked (I knew), it is Delhi, nobody know us. Our building people don’t know us. The rest is history. In a lighter note, nobody understands women, so is with politics.

Those days were really painful. After all I have least interest in politics. And my wife updating me with the development taking place in the AAP, it was adding to my pain. My only effort to be ‘political’ was to attain a voter ID, not to vote, but with a motive to use it as a identity card, or residence proof. How I attain the Delhi voter ID card, is altogether a different and obviously interesting topic.  So to say, I mistakenly came to know the mass production of Voter ID card.

Mukherjee Nagar in Delhi has been one of the often visited rendezvous for the AAP leaders including Kejriwal & Co. Why not? The population is young and ignited. Exam aspirants of civil service, SSC, banks make up a sizable population. I have listened Kejriwal addressing the mass at Commercial Complex. I have never witnessed in my lifetime the attendance shown in a small concrete ground just behind the Mukherjee Nagar police station, students falling one above another to have a glimpse of Kejriwal and resonating with his speech. “Kanoon to humne bhi pari hein” is one punch line that I remember from his speech that brought thunderous applause from the audience.

The scenes are so vivid and fresh in my memories, I never thought in my wildest dream. This man will be writing history in the Indian politics. An inch in the ground was not left vacant. Students were seen in the walls, women standing on the motorcycle, rooftops were not even left. This was the craze for Kejriwal.

However, a strategy that was not going down my throat to the plan of AAP to attract comrades, was running of desh bhakti songs in the markets. It was so irritating to me, I don’t know how many times I would have said to my wife, forget to grab seats, the party will die sure before it sprouts in the Indian political arena. I was put wrong. Oh! I forget to write about one of the AAP strategies, that is the road drama. You don’t know when common looking boys and girls start a skit in the midst of crowded markets. It was really fun. Definitely, those people , including me, who were doubtful and carried scornful eyes, will not ignore now. The party, above all the devoted members who showered faith and devotion to the party, has earned the respect of the people. Add my wife.