Fourteen years is not a long time in politics and for political parties. It takes forever to build a party and capture power. In this sense, the upsurge of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has been a rare phenomenon. Within eleven years of its formation, AAP was able to form a government in not just one but two states, namely Delhi and Punjab and a lot has been written about this. However, the ‘sudden’ downturn of the party in Delhi is still an understudied subject. The book under review, written by a journalist turned academic, who also worked closely with Manish Sisodia (the second most important person in the party), is an attempt in that direction. Based on primary and secondary data, written with empathy, it is an insider’s as well as an outsider’s perspective to AAP and its politics.
Divided into six parts and 29 chapters, the book takes us on a journey discussing some of the most obvious yet important questions such as the question of ideology, the Kejriwal-centric Party, the entry of Sunita Kejriwal, the Liquor Scam and its aftermath. In the middle of the book (Chapter 18), the author succinctly sums up the rise and fall of the party where he notes that “the AAP, a party that stormed into power with promises of clean politics and a fresh approach, seems to have betrayed its foundational ideals.” In order to explain this, he cites the example of Vijay Nair, described as ‘the blue-eyed boy of Arvind ji’. According to the author, the party’s “willingness to engage Nair, despite well-documented accusations, showcases the often hypocritical nature of political pragmatism.”
Commenting on the defeat of AAP in Delhi, its home turf, the author correctly points out the one truth that stands out starkly : Kejriwal’s experiment with soft Hindutva failed to take root. “Despite calibrated attempts to appropriate religious symbolism and appeal to the Hindu vote bank, the AAP could not breach the ideological fortress that the BJP and the RSS have long cultivated in Delhi.” Here it is worth recalling that the party not only deployed the pro-Hindutva playbook but also maintained a steady silence on anti-Muslim hate mongering and actively used ways to demonise Muslims, as documented in the chapter fourteen of the book.
Though the book is largely about Delhi, it also briefly discusses AAP’s rise and challenges in Punjab. “For the AAP to establish itself as a durable political force in Punjab, it will need to decentralise its decision-making process, and allow the state leadership more autonomy in addressing local issues.” This is important because as of now, much of the affairs of the state are run by people from Delhi. Citing the example of AAP’s earlier success, the author rightly suggests that “The AAP’s previous success in Delhi was largely attributed to its focus on local governance and strong leadership under Kejriwal. Replicating this model in Punjab requires empowering local leaders who understand the state’s unique challenges and can offer tailored solutions.”
Mahtab Alam is a Delhi based multilingual journalist and writer.
The Aam Aadmi Party: The Untold Story of a Political Uprising and
Its Undoing
By Sayantan Ghosh
Juggernaut
pp. 352; Rs 499