Kissa Kursi Ka : Note For Vote
On Christmas, Aam Aadmi Party shared an AI-generated video on social media showing its convenor Arvind Kejriwal dressed as Santa Claus ‘distributing’ welfare gifts. The caption read: “Delhi’s own Santa delivering gifts year-round”. The video showed a a government school in delhi and the AAP chief gifting a box to a woman with Rs 2,100 written on it. But Kejriwal had to face a bizarre twist. Delhi government’s Department of Women and Child Development and Health Department issued public notices in nespapers cautioning people against the “registration drives” current underway by AAP for two schemes – Mahila Samman promising Rs 2,100 monthly allowances for women, and Sanjeevani scheme promising free health care for senior citizens aged above 60 years. The government notices said, these schemes were “non-existent” and urged residents not to share personal data. The notices clearly said no such schemes have been notified by Delhi government.
AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal had announced both these schemes and promised to implement them if the party returns to power in 2025 Assembly polls. BJP leaders described this as “economic offence and fraud” and demanded a probe into how personal and financial data from voters are being collected. Arvind Kejriwal, clearly on the backfoot, said there was nothing wrong if people come forward to register their names if they trust AAP to deliver on its poll promises.
Chief Minister Atishi herself have been moving around with Kejriwal in Delhi and getting the forms filled up, and on the other hand, her own government was issuing public notices cautioning people that the schemes were non-existent. Atishi alleged that this was part of “BJP’s conspiracy” and threatened to take action against Delhi government officers who issued these ads.
Congress, the third force in Delhi, waded into this debate and alleged that there was no difference between BJP and Kejriwal, as both the parties “were cheating the people of Delhi”. Congress issued a White Paper on AAP government’s promises and failures. Congress leader Ajay Maken described Arvind Kejriwal as “a big liar who has no ideology and who can do anything to grab power”.
The public notices issued by Delhi government are quite interesting. Delhi government’s bureaucracy works under the Lt. Governor. Since Kejriwal announced both schemes bypassing all, the L-G threw a googly, by inserting ads in newspapers describing the schemes as “non-existent”. On the other hand, Kejriwal is confident that both these schemes would ensuring a repeat win for his party, just like the Laadli Behan Yojana that swept the BJP-ShivSena-NCP government back in power in Maharashtra, and Modi’s Ayushman Yojana that gave benefits to BJP.
Kejriwal had played this card earlier in Gujarat assembly elections. He had promised Rs 2,000 monthly allowance to women, and organized camps for women voters to fill up forms. In the elections, AAP got 14 per cent votes. Similarly, in Delhi, Kejriwal had started “registration” of women and senior voters two days ago. AAP claimed that by Wednesday evening, 22 lakh women registered their names under Mahila Samman Yojana, while two lakh senior citizens registered their names under Sanjeevani Yojana.
Naturally, this caused tension in Delhi BJP camp, and it was evident on Wednesday, when Delhi BJP leader Parvesh Verma started distributing Rs 1,100 cash to each woman voter in his residence. Verma is going to contest against Kejriwal in New Delhi constituency. So, he adopted the ‘Kejriwal formula’ to defeat the AAP chief. At the government bungalow in 20, Windsor Place, there was a big crowd of women who were being given Rs 1,100 in envelopes. They had gone to Verma’s home carrying their voter identity cards.
India TV reporter met several women who came out carrying folders in which Rs 1100 cash was inserted in envelopes. The folders carried photographs of BJP leaders. Chief Minister Atishi demanded that ED or CBI should raid Verma’s residence and arrest him, as she suspected there were crores of rupees worth cash lying in his home. Parvesh Verma clarified that his father former CM Sahib Singh Verma had set up an NGO which helped poor and destitute women and this cash was being distributed for this purpose. He said, this was not black money and every rupee was accountable.
Kejriwal, by evening, issued an appeal to voters not to hesitate in taking cash, but refrain from giving votes to BJP. The AAP chief, who was caught in his own net on the Mahila Samman and Sanjeevani schemes issue because of Delhi govt ads, now got an escape route after it was found that Parvesh Verma was distributing cash to women voters. Both tried to offer inducements to women voters, either in cash or getting names registered. Parvesh Verma’s style was more blatant. Kejriwal is an old player in this game. He did not distribute money, but promised to give if elected. Verma straightaway gave envelopes filled with cash. Most of the politicians secretly distribute cash and other goodies during elections, but in Hindi, there is a proverb: “Chor Wohi Hota Hai, Jo Pakda Jaye” (The thief is the one who gets caught). Parvesh Verma was caught and his defence seems to be weak.
How Kejriwal outsmarted both BJP and Congress by resigning
Nobody knows why Arvind Kejriwal decided to resign as Delhi chief minister and what were his compulsions. If he could run his government from jail, who prevented him from doing the same while living free, out of jail? Let me tell you, Kejriwal is a clever politician and he very well understands the game of perception. He won elections by levelling charges of corruption against top leaders of the country. Now he is himself facing charges of corruption in the liquor scam and this does not suit his style of politics. Kejriwal became chief minister after practically decimating both the Congress and BJP in Delhi elections. He has consistently won assembly elections for his party in Delhi, reduced Congress to a zero and badly marginalized the BJP in the national capital.
Now he will launch a fresh war, and start a new race against both Congress and BJP. Kejriwal knows he cannot run faster in a race while carrying the baggage of liquor scam on his shoulder. For Kejriwal, the most important thing to do is to remove the charges of corruption from his shoulder, and get his shirt spotlessly clean from the stain of being an accused in the liquor scam. And, I think, he has found a way out.
Kejriwal knows the trial in the liquor scam will linger on for long, and it can take years for a verdict to arrive. He will have to be on the defensive if the opposition levels corruption charges against him. This does not suit his style of politics. So, the first step that he took after walking out of jail was to resign as chief minister. By doing this, he has kept himself away from power. His second step will be to win the forthcoming assembly polls in Delhi. And then go to town to claim that he has been given a clean chit by the people. That he does not carry any stain of corruption on his shirt. The second aspect of this game is, making both Congress and BJP leaders confused. If you go by the reactions of both these rival parties, you will find they are questioning: Why Atishi? Why Atishi’s parents had signed a mercy petition for executed terrorist Afzal Guru? Why Atishi’s parents had added the surname ‘Marlena’ to her name? So, the charges are now being levelled at Atishi. Opposition leaders in Delhi are describing her as a temporary chief minister and try to hound her. And the ‘permanent chief minister’ will fight elections. For Kejriwal, the field is open. By the time, Congress and BJP leaders understand his game in Delhi, he would have run far ahead in the race.
Is Kejriwal’s release a worry for Congress?
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal came out of Tihar jail on Friday after 177 days. The Supreme Court granted him bail on conditions that he would not attend his office and sign any official file, nor shall he contact witnesses or speak about the liquor policy case in public. Coming out of prison, Kejriwal told cheering AAP supporters, “it is God which gave me strength and my resolve never weakened. Instead, my resolve multiplied 100 times.” The actual battle is going to be fought in the Haryana assembly elections. The court battles are over for the moment, but the case will linger on. Kejriwal’s release from jail will start a new battle on the political front. The fight is about perception, about creating a narrative.
Kejriwal claims that allegations of bribery made against him and his party in the Delhi liquor excise scam are false and the entire case is fake. This is the reason, he says, why he got bail from the highest court. BJP is going to tell the people that getting bail does not mean he has been acquitted and has been given a clean chit. BJP leaders point out to the SC verdict in which it has been said that his arrest by CBI was legally valid. AAP leaders allege, BJP misused ED and CBI to harass Kejriwal, but their plan has been foiled by the apex court. BJP leaders remind of the conditions under which Kejriwal cannot function as a Chief Minister. He cannot go to his office or sign official files.
There is a political twist to this case. While opposition parties expressed happiness over Kejriwal’s release from jail, Congress maintained silence. The reason: Haryana assembly elections, where talks of alliance between Congress and AAP failed over seat distribution. Congress leaders fear that if Kejriwal goes all out to garner votes for AAP in Haryana, its vote base may be hit. The fear is reflected in Congress stalwart Bhupinder Singh Hooda’s speeches, where he is telling Haryana voters that the battle is only between BJP and Congress, and people should not squander their votes by supporting any third party. In his Haryana campaign, Kejriwal is naturally going to take Congress to task, and this can cause problems for the party in the near future too. One must understand that AAP came to power in Delhi and Punjab by dislodging Congress.