Arvind Kejriwal was often referred to as chota Modi, or a smaller version of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, when the AAP established itself as a political party with a future and Arvind Kejriwal as a leader for the long term.
Source: Newsdrum
Kejriwal allowed little debate and discussion within AAP, and decisions were allegedly made with an iron fist, just like the original, who methodically destroyed his party’s second rung of leadership and showed scant respect for democratic practices anywhere, despite paying lip service to it.
Delhi’s Chief Minister Kejriwal is not the only politician in India that has dictatorial tendencies. The Mamata Banerjee-led administration in West Bengal detained a university professor for the ‘crime’ of reportedly emailing drawings insulting Banerjee shortly after she drove the Left Front out of Kolkata’s Writer’s Building.
One might cite other evidence of Banerjee’s hostility towards democracy and freedom of expression, as well as instances of other political figures displaying such qualities. There is a clear opposition to democracy in the Congress as well. The first attempt to forge a common cause across diverse opposition groups was the joining together of 14 parties to file a petition before the Supreme Court against the abuse of investigative agencies. Even Kejriwal and other opposition leaders attacked Rahul Gandhi’s exclusion from the Lok Sabha, which sent a message that the AAP and the Congress were willing to put aside disagreements and consider collaborations.
Similar to Martin Niemu00f6ller, different parties offered one another support out of a fear that no one would be left to speak out against the BJP’s tyranny. As a result, efforts to figure out how to maximise face-offs with BJP candidates seemed sincere and mutual. Will there be three-cornered elections in a number of states if there is no Third Front and the BJP faces an undefined anti-BJP alliance in the national elections of 2024? In certain places, the powerful regional party may even run on its own.
Source: Times Now
It’s possible that the Congress leadership gave this story more time to run because they want to pressure Kejriwal into making electoral compromises in some places where both parties are represented. This is particularly true in Delhi, where the BJP won all seven Lok Sabha seats in 2014 and 2019 despite the AAP winning the assembly elections.
AAP and the Congress must work together to avoid vote splitting and form a strategic alliance in order for the opposition to have any chance of preventing the BJP from winning again. However, it is difficult to imagine the Congress giving up on attempts to rebuild its support base in Punjab, especially given how weak the BJP-Shiromani Akali Dal alliance is.
For the BJP, which has been worried about efforts to forge an alliance with the opposition, the AAP-Congress rivalry has been a shot in the arm. AAP and the Congress must come to an agreement in order to defuse the situation, and other opposition groups or leaders may be able to mediate. A lot might happen before the opposition parties’ next summit on July 12 in Shimla.
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