The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), led by Arvind Kejriwal, suffered a major setback in the Delhi Assembly elections, losing to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The loss marks a significant blow to Kejriwal's national ambitions and raises questions about the future of the party. The AAP had been in power in Delhi for the past 10 years and had also formed a government in Punjab. Despite the defeat, the party still holds 13 MPs from Punjab and Delhi. The article examines the factors that contributed to the AAP's defeat, including allegations of corruption, poor civic facilities, and the BJP's relentless attacks. It also explores the impact of the loss on Kejriwal's national aspirations and the party's future.
Delhi faces a severe financial crunch and the deficit is largely due to numerous welfare schemes without adequate revenue flowing in. The success of welfare schemes and electoral promises will need careful financial planning and out of the box thinking to whip up additional revenue, notes Ramesh Menon.
Veteran Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar, in his latest book, argues that Pranab Mukherjee should have been made Prime Minister in 2012 instead of Manmohan Singh, who was then recovering from health issues. Aiyar believes this would have prevented the "paralysis of governance" and "doomed" any prospects the Congress might have had to form UPA-III. He also criticizes the government's handling of the Anna Hazare-led agitation and the Commonwealth Games scandal, which he believes contributed to the party's downfall in the 2014 general elections.
'...still have lost the 2014 Lok Sabha polls but could have won 140 seats.'
The BJP may win more seats in the February 5 assembly election, but not enough to trump AAP, notes Ramesh Menon.
The Delhi battlefield may not be a cakewalk for the Rhodes Scholar.
From the time he first rose to prominence during the movement against the then UPA government, Arvind Kejriwal has regularly grabbed headlines for his surprise moves and decisions. Here are 10 such instances.
'I thought AAP will uphold administrative fairness which is not there. And it is an indication of the fact that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely'
'The BJP was supporting him from behind in order to bring down the Congress government.'
Their leader is now Lalu Prasad Yadav, a convict in several corruption cases, he added.
In his absence, the party stares at uncertainty as many of its other senior leaders are either in jail or in political obscurity.
'I have no doubt that when she was prevented from meeting Kejriwal, she felt humiliated.'
Failing to get any reprieve from the Delhi high court, the Aam Aadmi Party on Tuesday said Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will move the Supreme Court soon against his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate and maintained the excise policy case was the 'biggest political conspiracy of the country' to finish the party.
He also asserted that no one can take the place of Kejriwal in the AAP.
'Kejriwal could have easily deputed someone to step in as chief minister, but being the authoritative and self-centered personality that he is, he chose not to do it.' 'If the AAP loses Delhi, where it has a huge majority, the only one to blame would be Kejriwal,' asserts Ramesh Menon.
In a massive setback to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, the Delhi high court on Tuesday dismissed his petition challenging his arrest in a money laundering case stemming from the alleged excise scam, saying there was no contravention of legal provisions.
The Congress now knows that it is the only force -- however weakened it might be -- that stands between the BJP and India's evolution into a single-party Republic. Because, once it is out of the way, the BJP could sort out the other regional powers: Co-opting some, demolishing others, asserts Shekhar Gupta.
The arrest, the first of a sitting chief minister, came hours after the Delhi high court refused to grant protection to the AAP national convenor from any coercive action by the agency.
'For the last two elections, the Congress manifesto has been thrown into the dustbin.' 'This manifesto will also be thrown into the dustbin.'
2019 was the Bharatiya Janata Party's breakout year, when it stretched the boundaries of what was thought possible and ended up with 303 seats on its own steam. Now it is forced to play defence, on a pitch queered by too many variables, asserts Prem Panicker.
'Modigate is snowballing into a huge thing with the electorate. The BJP is in for huge punishment by the electorate.'
Aam Aadmi Party leader Bhagwant Mann takes the oath of office in Shahid Bhagat Singh's Khatkar Kalan village.
As the Kejriwal empire spreads, will he be able to keep the momentum going? And will it be at the cost of greater centralisation of authority in the party, asks Aditi Phadnis.
How did Arvind Kejriwal, a one-time votary of secularism, turn into a bargain-basement version of Narendra Modi, wonders Vir Sanghvi.
The Aam Aadmi Party claimed on Wednesday that the Bharatiya Janata Party has approached four of its legislators in Delhi, asking them to switch sides and join the saffron party or else, face 'false cases, the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) and the ED (Enforcement Directorate)'.
'She will forever be remembered for being a disrupter - a disrupter in a positive sense - as she disrupted the hierarchies that existed in society!'
Aam Aadmi Party calls Bhagwant Mann its people's choice for CM candidate in Punjab. Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff.com traces what makes Mann so indispensable for his party.
'I was not really aware that this movement was slyly being propped up by the BJP and RSS.'
AAP will have to learn to be patient as such electoral changes do not happen in a hurry, asserts Ramesh Menon.
In the unlikely event of the BJP-NDA losing all five states going to the polls in February-March, the Presidential electoral college numbers could be significantly altered, points out N Sathiya Moorthy.
RTI activist and India Against Corruption member Anjali Damania on Tuesday confirmed that Bharatiya Janata Party president Nitin Gadkari would be the next person to be 'exposed' before the public.
India Against Corruption member Arvind Kejriwal said that along with the BJP and Congress, the Communist Party of India-Marxist and Biju Janata Dal also played a major role in the plunder of the natural resource.
With just three days left for Anna Hazare's fast to commence, members of India Against Corruption are running from pillar to post to secure requisite clearances, reports Toral Varia Deshpande
With just three days left for Anna Hazare's fast to commence, members of India Against Corruption are running from pillar to post to secure requisite clearances for Anna's fast, reports Toral Varia Deshpande
Seven years is a long time for any of Modi's promised actions to show up. If voters are angry and cynical today, it is because the rhetoric stings, argues Ramesh Menon.
India Against Corruption volunteers demonstrate in front of the UN headquarters in New York in support of Anna Hazare's fast.
The San Francisco Bay Area unit of India Against Corruption on Monday slammed the arrest of activist Anna Hazare. Nearly 150 members of the Indian American community gathered at the Civic Centre Plaza in Los Angeles to show their support to Anna Hazare on the eve of Independence Day.They expressed their support for Hazare and the millions of Indians who are demanding the Jan Lokpal Bill to end corruption in India.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday met eminent social activist Anna Hazare and other activists who are spearheading the initiative 'India Against Corruption'.The activists told the PM that the country expected meaningful reforms to tackle corruption in public life. "I appreciate and share your concerns on corruption," the PM assured the group, which also comprised Kiran Bedi and Swami Agnivesh.Dr Singh requested Hazare not to carry out his threat of going on a fast.
Replying to a a questionnaire consisting of 20 questions on key issues on Lokpal Bill sent to him by the NGO India Against Corruption, Bollywood actor Aamir Khan has given his thumbs up for the draft version put forward by Anna Hazare and his team.
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