Slingshotting the Goliaths of Indian Politics

We have all read that overly exaggerated biblical tale in which a young man named David kills a giant named Goliath using but a slingshot. 

(pic credit: Marcantonio Raimondi [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons)

What we are witnessing these days in Indian Politics after the historic Delhi elections results forces one to think, ‘Are we witnessing the David-Goliath story of our times’?

This post is not about the history of Aam Aadmi Party (however short it might be). Neither is it about what the future could, would or should be. Let’s put all those speculations aside and admire the beauty of a lone act played on centre stage of Indian Politics, only yesterday. Let’s leave our support to different parties, blind idol-worshipping and all political biases aside, and then ponder over the following.

Arvind Kejriwal has sent (technically cc-ed) identical open letters to both the political giants of India – BJP and Congress, asking them their stance on 18 issues. Publically.

Let’s read the full texts here and then discuss the implications of the same on the dense political scenario of Delhi ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

Letter to Sonia Gandhi

 

 Letter to Rajnath Singh

 

So, we had a hung assembly and a re-election looming over Delhi. We had Congress openly on sale and BJP playing schizophrenic for AAP. Modi worshippers (and his digital PR masterminds) were trying hard to blame the entire expense of the probable re-elections in Delhi on AAP. Everybody was playing mind-games, putting pressure on AAP to respond, to commit one mistake and then blow up any such stray statement out of proportion to get political mileage in the coming LS elections.

And then we saw Arvind Kejriwal’s open letter to both Congress and BJP, blunt and frank. He doesn’t mince his words when he fleshes out all the 18 issues and demands straight answers from both Congress and BJP.

We have seldom seen such an open comparative analysis of stances and opinions of political parties. Let us discuss the implications a bit more. Kejriwal has cleverly spelled out everything he stood for in Delhi elections and intends to make the stances of both parties public after receiving them. He knows that it would be very tough for both Congress and BJP to accept the 18 conditions in their entirety. If they don’t, AAP will have a major  reason for asking for votes in both Delhi re-elections and Lok Sabha elections, citing the answers of both Congress and BJP on popular issues.

If they do, well, that’s when the stone from the sling will hit the forehead of the Goliath(s).

In any case, Arvind Kejriwal has successfully sent the ball back in opponents’ courts. AAP is an infant no doubt, but a masterstroke like this requires political finesse. Arvind Kejriwal knows what he’s doing and he’s here to stay.

 

Alok K.

Dec 15th 2013

P.S. An abnormal thing is happening since we saw the rise of this common man. Arvind Kejriwal continues to do what the Indian Media should have been doing as a part of their basic job description.

Asking direct questions to the directly answerable.