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.
People must vote against the ruling alliance at Centre led by Congress if it failed to pass the Jan Lokpal bill in the ongoing winter session of Parliament, social activist and former IPS officer Kiran Bedi said at Ralegan Siddhi village where Anna Hazare is observing fast for passage of the bill.
Delhi assembly on Friday passed the Janlokpal Bill, incorporating suggestions of Anna Hazare, which provides for an ombudsman with powers to act against any government functionary.
As leaders in both the BJP and Congress concede, neither has within their parties a leader to match Arvind Kejriwal's charisma in Delhi.
The whole approach of the civil society activists is legalistic, with an unbounded faith in laws as cure for all. In India we have a plethora of laws but very little law and order. It is essential that any solution for corruption must involve political scientists, management experts, administrators in order to work out laws and institutions that work, says Colonel Anil Athale (retd)
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced on Sunday that he would resign after two days and sought early polls in the national capital while vowing not to sit in the chief minister's chair till people give him a 'certificate of honesty'.
'There was a time when a movie star could win an election just by stepping into politics. That era is over.'
On the eve of the maiden meeting of the 10-member joint committee on Saturday to draft the Lokpal bill, government on Friday said it has an open mind on the issue.
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.
Activist Anna Hazare will soon write to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, seeking his views on having an annual performance audit of the Members of Parliament.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal mounted a blazing campaign in the hot summer after he was released from the Tihar jail on interim bail on May 10, drawing huge crowds at rallies and roadshows, but it proved insufficient to propel his Aam Aadmi Party past the Bharartiya Janata Party challenge in the national capital.
In his absence, the party stares at uncertainty as many of its other senior leaders are either in jail or in political obscurity.
Hardening his stand on the passage of two key bills, Arvind Kejriwal on Monday renewed his threat to quit, saying he was ready to sacrifice the chief minister's post a "thousand times" to ensure "swaraj" and give power to the common people.
Haryana Janhit Congress chief Kuldeep Bishnoi, who was supported by the Bharatiya Janata Party, won the Hisar by-polls defeating Indian National Lok Dal 's Ajay Chautala. Congress' Jai Prakash was in the third position.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday attacked Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over his threat to resign if the Jan Lokpal Bill is not passed, saying he is looking for an escape route, as he is unable to govern and is getting "exposed".
Besides corruption, the agency mentioned bureaucratic logjam and slow pace of judicial decision-making as factors hindering the Indian economy.
Anna Hazare's fast to demand a strong Lokpal Bill entered the seventh day in New Delhi on Monday with his team asserting that they have no intention to topple the government.
Reacting to Mayawati's objection over the absence of any Dalit on the Jan Lokpal Bill draft committee, Agnivesh said, "I do welcome her objection and thank her for raising the issue. But I would also like to ask the UP chief minister to declare whether she had taken any effective steps to curb the rampant corruption in her government.
The all-party meeting convened by the government has seen some interesting position being adopted by political parities on the issue of the Jan Lokpal bill with nine parties asking the government to trash its bill, which is with the standing committee. However, there are no takers for Anna Hazare's Jan Lokpal bill either.
Nandan Nilekani, the chairperson of Unique Identification Authority of India and former Infosys CEO, has said that activist Anna Hazare's protest was unjustified when the Lokpal Bill was before Parliament for consideration.
Team Anna on Saturday launched a blistering attack on the Congress ahead of the October 13 Lok Sabha by-poll in Hisar, Haryana, asking voters to inflict a "historic" defeat on the party for not getting the Jan Lokpal Bill passed.
In a move that is bound to add to the woes of the Congress, activist Anna Hazare on Tuesday announced his decision to begin a national tour after Dusshera.
With certain political parties launching 'yatras' ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, Team Anna member Kiran Bedi has said such yatras have no meaning without the passage of the Jan Lokpal Bill.
Anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare will observe fast unto death from Tuesday until the government enacts a comprehensive law such as the Jan Lokpal Bill to tackle the menace.
Hectic political activity is on in New Delhi with the government upset with what it terms as Team Anna's attempts to seek political consensus on its Jan Lokpal Bill. There is also uncertainity surrounding the scheduled debate in Parliament over the draft bill.
Arvind Kejriwal, core member of Hazare's team, also appealed to people here to hold a protest outside the 7, Race Course Road official residence of the Prime Minister demanding tabling of Jan Lokpal Bill in Parliament.
Anna Hazare on Tuesday stuck to his August 30 deadline for passage of Jan Lokpal Bill and asked his supporters to intensify the protest by gheraoing the houses of Parliamentarians if government failed to do so.
In an interview with CNN-IBN, author and activist Arundhati Roy outlines the reasons why she strongly opposes Anna Hazare's movement for the Jan Lokpal Bill
Anna Hazare would call of his fast the moment Parliament passes a resolution containing three of his demands or at least table the Jan Lokpal Bill, a key member of his team Prashant Bhushan said on Friday.
Anna Hazare on Friday launched his protest fast at the historic Ramlila Maidan giving indications that it will be a prolonged one when he declared that he will not quit the venue till the Jan Lokpal bill is brought.
Sharply attacking the Congress and the BJP for being in collusion to defeat the Jan Lokpal Bill, Arvind Kejriwal, who resigned as the Delhi chief minister, on Friday evening said that people will teach both the parties a lesson in future.
Anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare said on Friday he will start a 'satyagraha' in New Delhi on the first day of winter session, for the passage of Jan Lokpal Bill in Parliament.
Union Minister Salman Khurshid on Sunday called Arvind Kejriwal a runaway "groom", as political parties hurled jibes at the AAP leader after he quit as the Delhi chief minister.
The Aam Aadmi Party on Friday demanded a probe into the alleged "leak" of a communication on the Jan Lokpal Bill from the Solicitor General to the Lieutenant Governor.
The Delhi government is likely to extend the ongoing Winter Session to allow passage of the Jan Lokpal Bill which was cleared by the cabinet earlier this week.
Unfazed by the solicitor general's opinion, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said he would write to the Lt Governor Najeeb Jung on plans to enact the Jan Lokpal Bill without the Centre's concurrence.
Team Anna member N Santosh Hegde on Sunday saluted Parliament for rising to the occasion and giving its nod to key elements of Jan Lokpal Bill, but cautioned that people should "not expect a miracle" as enacting the legislation will "take its own time".
As Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal remains adamant on his stand of resigning if the Jan Lokpal Bill is not passed in the ongoing Assembly session, Lt Governor Najeeb Jung on Friday said that the ombudsman bill cannot be tabled as it has not been approved by him.
Arvind Kejriwal, set to be the youngest chief minister of Delhi, will face immediate challenge of fulfilling three key promises he made during the poll campaign -- passage of Delhi Jan Lokpal Bill, cutting power tariff by 50 per cent and supplying 700 litres of free water to each household across the city.
Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal on Friday resigned as Delhi Chief Minister after he failed to pass the Jan Lokpal Bill in the Delhi Assembly.
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