A MODI Supporter's (aka BHAKT) views on Mr. Arvind Kejriwal and his AAP

When i came to know about Mr. Arvind Kejriwal, he was a person who left a cozy job as the Joint Commissioner of Income Tax in New Delhi to start a social movement called Parivartan. He was quite famous among the students and almost a hero figure.

I saw a guy who could have led a lavish life, with money, power and influence, who chose to walk instead through filth in the narrow lanes of Delhi’s Sunder Nagari, carrying a loudspeaker in his hands, singing jingles, teaching people about their rights and cleanliness.

I saw Kejriwal picket outside the Delhi Electricity Board office, asking visitors not to pay bribes, offering to get their work done for free. I saw Kejriwal expose a PDS scam in Delhi, stall the privatisation of water supply, and get 700 poor kids admitted to costly private schools for free. i felt thankful. I also saw Kejriwal get involved with Anna hazare for the Right to Information act movement bringing to us the right to ask questions directly to our government.

I saw Shri Arvind Kejriwal receive the Ramon Magsaysay award for Emergent Leadership.

Then came the 2011 India Against Corruption movement or the Jan Lokpal Movement - I saw Kejriwal along with Anna Hazare become household names. There was a huge momentum of national support - the Indian Media played ball - they really captured the imagination of the young and the restless.

Then came the Political Party and off went Anna Hazare.

I sawe many students and working class people who took out their time for Mr. Kejriwal. People took out their time to distribute tha pamphlets of the party and to support AAP.

Donations and volunteers trickled in from around the world. They even won 28/70 seats in the Delhi assembly elections defeating the incumbent Chief Minister Shiela Dixit and the Minister of Telecom, Kapil Sibal.

All eyes were on the most popular new chief minister of India - the world media was all ears and camera. It was time to deliver. And then we saw this:

Shri Arvind Kejriwal was still in the protest mode. He cried, slept outside government offices and resigned on Valentine’s Day of 2014.

But the momentum wasn’t lost. In the following general elections, AAP won 4 parliamentary seats in Punjab, which was followed by a thumping 67/70 seats in the Delhi Assembly elections. Shri Kejriwal was on a new high.

This was the time to seize the opportunity and deliver a governance like no other. Shri Kejriwal had the men, means and the media to accomplish this task and all he needed was a focussed 30 month stint of “Badlav” (Translation: Change). He could have used his time to strengthen his cadre base in different states while building a model state in Delhi - keeping his higher moral ground.

But we get this:

Instead of being a model Chief minister in India, Shri Arvind Kejriwal decided to focus his attention on Narendra Modi. He perhaps thought, positioning himself as the Opposition-in Chief to Modi might earn him the PMs job sooner. But he ill-chose his issues, becoming a mere jester instead of a serious challenger:

He was just seen slamming Modi, name calling, shooting and scooting, taking U turns, cancelling A R Rahman concerts because of a fatwa while inviting Ghulam Ali to perform in Delhi, giving reviews of latest blockbusters and basically doing everything that he protested against - earlier:

Today, the bubble of Shri Arvind Kejriwal has been pricked by his own actions. The opportunities in Goa and Punjab have come and gone - perhaps with a lesson to first bring one’s own house in order, before they point a finger at others.

We always waited for a day when a well educated common man enters politics and gives a tough time to the regular politicians. Now we are waiting for a day, when Shri Kejriwal does a final ‘U’ turn and decides to focus on being an awesome chief minister in Delhi. Fingers crossed. Thinning hope.

* Special thanks to Mr. Naman Chakraborty.