En-route, the nondescript, discoloured and stained wall
caught attention. Now, Mr. Kejriwal on Delhi
walls was no more an eye-catcher, yet this one made me stop by it, read it, and
click it on my cellphone camera.
It was 49 Vs 49.
Now, 49 is a number of mixed emotions for Mr. Kejriwal and
his Aam Aadmi Party.
While they believe and intends us to believe in the sanctity
of it being a momentous figure and a telling example of the politics of
principles of AAP that pushed him to resign from the Delhi Chief Minister’s
office just after 49 days of forming the government (with Congress support) on
the pretext of ‘being not allowed to pass the Lokpal Bill of his government’. He
blamed the BJP and the Congress party of betraying the people of Delhi.
But, electorally, it proved counterproductive, and humbled
him (or forced him) to accept it was a wrong move. He even apologized (or had
to) for it.
Though AAP had increased vote share in Delhi, it could not win any Lok Sabha seat
here and across the country, almost of its candidates lost their deposits. It
was an epic fall after the unprecedented high of December 2013 when AAP had registered
a stunning debut in Indian politics.
And, the apology was more to appease the electorate of Delhi in the aftermath of
the Lok Sabha polls rout and in the context of the possible Delhi Assembly
elections ahead than being an honest and sensible introspection.
This poster and the Kejriwal style of politics so far, on
reforming his party and on refocusing on Delhi,
tell us nothing has changed.
This 49 Vs 49 poster asks readers/viewers/people (or the
Delhi voters) to give views on 49 days of AAP government in Delhi vis-à-vis the
49 days of Narendra Modi led BJP government at the Centre - from May 26 to July 13 - (and thus in Delhi,
under the President/Lieutenant Governor rule).
This poster tells Kejriwal still follows the politics
through his imaginative surveys.
This poster tells Kejriwal still believes in overshooting
his lines (with incidents like criticizing the Union Government on its Gaza stand).
This poster tells Kejriwal still believes in his chances
in Delhi based
on the work of his government of 49 days.
And this poster tells Kejriwal believes the 49 days of
Narendra Modi government at the Centre would help him with talking points to
mobilize opinions.
Kejriwal is questioning us once again. He is purveying his
one more imaginative-style survey to know what we feel on the present political
situation.
Nothing wrong in that but his shabby treatment to conduct surveys
and his equally questionable use of the results of such surveys (or opinion-seeking)
so far has convinced us to treat these efforts as motivated, misplaced and
imaginative.
And this poster is on the similar lines given by what it
seeks to be answered (and in what way).
Kejriwal’s 49 days Vs Modi’s 49 day! Kejriwal is
questioning us once again.
Should we swallow the wallow this time?
No!
Yes, but if Kejriwal is smelling a chance to form the Delhi government again
(if elections are held today), he has reasons to think so. He had increased
vote share in Delhi
in the Lok Sabha polls. And he can play it well with the steep price rise and local
problems of Delhi
like acute power crisis and deepening water crisis post-Modi government days.
The only thing is, he needs to take a sensible approach focusing
on party reform, field work, sensible conversation and people connect - doing
away with profligate ways like imaginative surveys and out-of-context verbal
exercises.
But, so far – Mr. Kejriwal has failed us on these much
needed changes.