Regardless of Indian politics steadily producing examples of “intelligent campaigners, abysmal directors,” it’s onerous to seek out parallels to former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. He will doubtless be remembered as “the chief who might have been however by no means was”.
Catapulted into the limelight throughout Anna Hazare’s anti-corruption motion, Kejriwal turned a distinguished anti-establishment voice of the early 2010s. He based the Aam Aadmi Social gathering (AAP), defeated Delhi’s sitting Chief Minister, and earned the title of a “big killer”. On the time, he echoed the general public’s craving for change. Nevertheless, the hubris of his early success was short-lived, as Kejriwal by no means advanced past his “andolan jeevi” section.
His first time period as Chief Minister in 2013 ended abruptly after simply 48 days, following an alliance with the Congress — the very occasion he had beforehand vilified. Claiming he wanted a full majority to ship on his guarantees, Kejriwal returned with a landslide victory in 2015. But, even with a mandate, he always blamed the Lieutenant Governor (LG) and the Centre for his authorities’s shortcomings.
The sample turned predictable: blame the LG on odd days, the Centre on even days, and ship little in between. For somebody with an IIT schooling, it’s perplexing — or maybe telling — that Kejriwal appeared unaware of the constitutional limitations of a Union Territory CM. If he was conscious, why the infinite protests, blame video games, and theatrics?
Damaged guarantees and rising corruption
Over time, Kejriwal’s picture as a humble, incorruptible “kattar imaandar” eroded. Allegations of corruption, such because the now-scrapped liquor coverage, have led to expenses in opposition to prime AAP leaders, together with Kejriwal himself. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) claims funds from the excise coverage had been used for political campaigns in Goa, with Kejriwal personally implicated.
This irony isn’t misplaced on the general public. The person who as soon as promised to eradicate corruption has change into its poster little one. Disillusioned senior leaders like Raj Kumar Anand and Kailash Gahlot have left the occasion, citing its deviation from its founding ideas, rising corruption and botched governance.
Air pollution, schooling, and jobs: A document of failure
Kejriwal’s tenure has additionally been marred by coverage failures in crucial areas. Take air air pollution, for occasion. Delhi stays one of the crucial polluted capitals on the earth, with over 12,000 deaths yearly attributed to air air pollution. Measures by the AAP authorities have been largely reactive, not proactive, with no long-term methods in sight.
Equally, the so-called “world-class schooling mannequin” is riddled with inconsistencies. A report by the Delhi Directorate of Training revealed abysmal scholar efficiency, with over 1 lakh
Class IX college students failing annual exams. The promise of 500 new colleges stays largely unfulfilled, with solely 63 constructed since 2015. Moreover, a Central Vigilance Fee report uncovered value overruns and shoddy development in classroom initiatives.
The employment panorama is not any higher. Regardless of guarantees of making 12 lakh jobs, an RTI revealed that the Delhi authorities facilitated simply 440 jobs in 9 years. The numbers starkly contradict AAP’s claims and spotlight the hole between rhetoric and actuality.
The jig is up
From its roots in Anna Hazare’s anti-corruption motion, AAP has reworked into a celebration tormented by allegations of corruption and ineffectiveness. Its leaders, who as soon as vowed to serve the folks, now appear extra centered on consolidating energy. The incessant blame video games, the failure to deal with civic points like flooding and waste administration, and the misuse of taxpayer cash for ads have alienated voters.
Because the Delhi elections strategy, the writing on the wall is obvious: the “broom” that after symbolized change has change into synonymous with damaged guarantees. Delhiites, fed up with excuses, will quickly go for a “double-engine” authorities to brush away the particles left behind by Kejriwal’s AAP.
Disclaimer
Views expressed above are the writer’s personal.
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