From the backdrop and din of the anti-corruption movement the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) rose to prominence. What got the attention of the people are the following features of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP):
Alternative Voice: AAP became the alternative anti-establishment voice and used it effectively to raise pertinent questions. This new party on the block that was transparent and asked difficult yet pertinent questions was hurting the traditional parties and gave them a rude awakening from their business as usual attitude.
Circumstances: The scams and the security situation gave the AAP talking points and kept them in the news. The problems were real and the questions raised were tough to answer.
Transparency: The party workings were fairly open and so were its donations. AAP turned the game on its head by putting all its donations it received in the public domain.
Volunteers: It worked on the volunteer model that gave AAP dedicated followers who were long seeking an alternative voice than the Indian National Congress (INC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Leadership: The leadership of the AAP consisted of individuals who were in public life and were willing to be scrutinized closely. The other quality of the AAP leadership was their accessibility to the common public. Even the methodology of putting up criminal record free, educated, young and middle class candidates for election, was a tactically brilliant masterstroke as well as the need of the hour.
Social Media: The AAP used social media brilliantly to connect with people and this increased the accessibility to its leadership. This also increased communication among the volunteers and cadres and they were mobilised faster. This drove the hope for change and everyone, from a labourer to the new age professionally educated middle class found common ground to stand and raise a collective voice. This potent mix of the ground level movement and protests and the use of volunteers and social media effectively kept them in news.
New Voice: The AAP was not an empty attempt at creating a new power centre because the questions raised by AAP were valid and it appealed to the intelligentsia too. This new segment of voters, who earlier were not addressed, became a force to reckon with. If one looks at it as a social experiment, it was massive success. It cornered the government at various places and extended its ability to touch every traditional political party with its actions and questions. One of the biggest strengths of the AAP was its communication that questioned age old structures and practices of politics.
Where the AAP got it wrong:
Jan Lokpal Bill: This bill was the foundation on which the AAP was formed and came to power and got a shot at governance in Delhi. If the AAP had provided good corruption free governance it may have been forgiven for not implementing the Jan Lokpal Bill. The gross miscalculation of an ideological move put the AAP on shaky ground as it entered the all India general elections. Quitting the Delhi government made the AAP look hungry and greedy for power in the highest echelons which did not bode well for the fortunes of AAP.
Over –Communication and Sloganeering: The AAP further dented their credibility by playing the game of politics in the age old manner practiced by the other parties. They promised a lot but did not provide solutions on how they will live up to their promises. They also started playing the blame game without providing concrete evidence and some even stepped on the religious mine field. The loss of credibility and reputation in such a short while alienated many in its support base.
Had the AAP stuck to governing Delhi and contested the general elections in a limited manner, it could have challenged the age old notions of politics and how political parties are run. The older parties would have been forced to play ball or become irrelevant in the long run.
Good governance and clean candidates of AAP could have forced every political party to follow suit and put up candidates without criminal cases against them and also restructure their parties to be more transparent.
The Future
I do see a future for AAP but they have to actively shun all the other methods and practices followed by other parties. If they indulge in mudslinging and playing the religion card, they will be looked at as just another political outfit out for power, than a party with a difference.
By being active conscience keepers initially, they can challenge and force the system to change and then when they do get the power, they can infect a positive change that stays around for years to come.
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