(Rana Ayyub is an award-winning investigative journalist and political writer. She is working on a book on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which will be published later this year.)
In an interview to a news channel over the weekend, Kumar Vishwas, poet-turned-leader of the Aam Aadmi Party, tried to defend the cuss words used by party chief Arvind Kejriwal against rivals - the secretly-recorded audio of his invective was leaked by the anti-Kejriwal camp headed by Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav. "My father calls me an ullu ka pattha (a swear word for fool) on the phone," said Vishwas, indicating the bizarre new normal of AAP that has crystallized around stings, counter-stings, allegations of forgery and cries of the murder of democracy.
The same conflict swept across AAP volunteers and cadres over the weekend, when nearly 400 members met to decide how to settle the war of Arvind Kejriwal vs Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan. The Gandhi topi-sporting cadre fluctuated between moments of extreme joy and vindication to diffidence and suspicion.
Why is it then that Prashant Bhushan misled the cadre, asked a supporter outside Kejriwal's residence. "If he knew that Kejriwal was encouraging corrupt candidates, was being unethical , was it not his responsibility to let the voter of this country, most importantly, us the party workers know?" he screamed in anger, when asked about the ouster of Bhushan and Yadav from the party's national executive. A supporter of Yogendra Yadav declared, "Why did Kejriwal not sack them before the elections? We were with them because Medha Patkar and Yogendra Yadav were social workers. Kejriwal and gang have turned into lovers of power."
"I am not here to fight against Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan. I accept defeat, you have won. I have come here to end this...This is not Swaraj or inner party democracy," Kejriwal said, ending his speech with a clear ultimatum: "Today you have to choose between me and them."
When some intellectuals complained to AAP leaders about the increasing importance of a leader like Kumar Vishwas, who according to them spoke the language of the Indian Right, Kejriwal and team said that the presence of Medha Patkar and Yogendra Yadav in the party should allay that fear. Now, with their exit, the reassurance counts for little. Some have decided to give Kejriwal a little more time, others wonder if the "Modi as PM and Kejriwal as CM" agenda of the AAP leadership was not as far-fetched as it was deemed to be.
The repercussions for Kejriwal may take time to take effect. The average Delhi resident seems impressed with his delivering on the promise of cheaper water and power. But even if he is focused on just Delhi and is not thinking national, his vision appears limited - why isn't he thinking beyond just this term?
But will this move work? Will another movement of dissent by the dissenters be a viable alternative to AAP? The future of this movement could well depend on how Kejriwal leads his party in the next few months, and consolidates his image amongst his fans and followers. On the other hand, Bhushan, Yadav and other ideologues will have to realize that politics is a game of maneuvering, timing and smart play if they indeed intend to be in the business. As for the cadre, they have decided to delay a show of their cards till they have more information in this rude show of conflicting ideas and ideals.
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