The Delhi elections are over. The exit polls predict that AAP is set to win.
And liberals are disdainfully admitting that they voted Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP despite their disappointment in him and his party!
Disappointment in what?
That AAP fought the elections only on issues of development. That they did not win fighting fascism. They made statements against fascism but did not come out on the streets. They voted against CAA in the Parliament and fulfilled their parliamentary duty but did not come to Shaheen Baagh. They sent ambulances and volunteers to JNU and AIIMS but the Chief Minister did not make an appearance. That Arvind Kejriwal said in multiple interviews that he did not support NRC/CAA and thinks the law needs to be retracted but he did not challenge Modi for a sword fight unto death!
What they did not do was wrestle with the pig in mud.
AAP did pretty well on their part to keep the discussion to development and not fall into BJP’s fascist binary trap. They did well to not politicise Shaheen Baagh and add fuel to BJP’S attempt of stoking communal fire. They did well to starkly expose BJP’s lack of any development manifesto.
His party voted against CAA in parliament. If other partied had even done that, we won’t have this problem. Shaheen Bagh was not a poll issue. Shah used it to polarise, Kejriwal stuck to development agenda. No matter what the election result are, they won by not turning Delhi elections into a Hindu Muslim issue. Are we really blaming a political party for sticking to schools and health and basic services. Rather than liberals blaming shah for communalising Delhi elections, we are blaming Kejriwal for not falling into the trap and talking only about schools and bijli paani!!!
Well, the man and the party isn’t perfect but no one has done them a favour by voting for them.
Not matter what a lot of people say, he isn’t a Modi in making. The fact that he let a strong second line of leadership come up shows he will never master Modi’s megalomania. And then, he isn’t a mass murdered either.
The problem is he isn’t a rag to riches story for entitled liberals to feel patronizingly indulgent about. Neither is he a pedigree that earns their reverence. Nor is his major focus on the privileged liberal who hogs lion’s share of the political debate. He is just a muffler wearing, cough syrup chugging non-elite thorn stuck in their redundant political binaries.
Problem is you still wish he wins, however grudgingly that may be!
