Lessons From Delhi Election

I salute Team Anna And Team Ramdeo who ignited fire against the corruption and black money. I salute Arvind Kejriwal and his team and his party who worked day and night for full one year to make the political movement against the misrule in Delhi and got grand success in maiden electoral fight against two well established national parties like BJP and Congress. I salute team Arvind Kejriwal and workers of AAM Admi Party who have taught a good lesson in recently concluded Delhi election to all those leaders of Congress Party, BJP and all other parties who were teasing Kejriwal and his team, who were maligning Team Anna and Team Ramdeo and challenging them to fight against corruption by joining Politics.

 Kejriwal and his team have proved that they have the capacity to lead not only civil society movement but also can lead the political movement if they are honest and sincere and if common men of this country decide to support them they can dethrone corrupt politicians of this country. I salute Arvind Kejriwal for his devoted effort in fighting against corruption prevalent in the system and patiently listening comments made by a section of media and a class of politicians and finally responding all of them in peaceful and impressive manner. 

I praise Arvind Kejriwal who is fighting tooth and nail to remove corrupt politicians and corrupt officers from the system He wants to change the system . He wants to bring transformation and reformation in Indian politics and Indian administrative system. People of Delhi took him seriously and voted his party AAP . Unfortunately AAM Admi Party did not get clear and absolute majority . Verdict of election has not given majority to any single party like AAP or BJP. However  28 members of AAP won the election and made history in electoral record. I salute Arvind Kejriwal for his simplicity and humility when he delivers his lecture before audience and when he responds journalists in TV interview despite his landmark and remarkable victory in election .

Even during victory celebration at Jantar Mantar on 11.12.2013, Mr. Arvind Kejriwal thanked his team and his supporters without any sense of pride in his mind Rather he openly advised his elected members to refrain from such celebration which exhibited pride and which could hurt the sentiments of any voter. 

Leadership of Arvind is really praiseworthy. I find that Arvind is blessed with enormous quality of leadership; he has immense stock of confidence and he is working with all sincerity to bring about real change in the system. God will bless him sooner or the later an opportunity to lead this entire country.

In Delhi election, verdict is not clear. None of the political party has got simple majority. AAP got 28, BJP 32, Congress 8 and other 2 out of 70 seats in Delhi Assembly. A party needs minimum 36 seats to form the government and for smooth functioning of assembly and for transaction of business. A party with absolute or simple majority can only implement its plan , policy and manifesto comfortably.

However if one carries out permutation and combination of seats of various parties in Delhi election result, there may be only two or three possibilities.

BJP may form the government provided AAP support in smooth functioning of assembly and passing of various bills in the assembly.

Second option is AAP forms the government with the support of Congress Party or BJP

Third option which is remote possibility in present context ,Congress party and BJP, traditional opponent of each other may form the government jointly and AAP will work as opposition party.

Unfortunately neither BJP nor AAP is ready to form the government. Congress Party has lost the election and got humiliating defeat in the hands of AAP in Delhi and BJP elsewhere. As such Congress Party is watching the situation silently. The most surprising and painful is that the Governor of Delhi is also maintaining silence of entire events and progress in activities in different camps post election result. Governor is however duty bound by Constitution to make effort for formation of government.

If there is no party having simple majority, it is duty to make enough efforts for making a best possible cohesive group or force any party or newly built group to form the government. After all Delhi being the capital of this country and center of all political, social, and international including anti-social, anti -national and criminal activities cannot be left without government.

If any terror attack takes place or if any untoward incident takes place, who will be responsible for controlling the same. Delhi is the center of all activity and cannot be allowed to run without government. There will complete policy paralysis and administrative deficit when there is no leader at the top. Enemy of the country may cause trouble in not only Delhi but through Delhi to entire country. Not only is this, who will solve the issues of common men when there is no government to respond is a million dollar question which elected leaders are supposed to answer..

If None of BJP or AAP form the government, Congress Party will ultimately rule Delhi by imposing President’s rule and in this way the same Congress Party will get an opportunity to loot Delhi as hitherto done at least till fresh election is conducted and result comes out with absolute majority to any one party.

Arvind Kejriwal started movement to remove Delhi government and it is his team who exposed many scam and many shortcomings in governance in Delhi. Arvind promised to change the system if he and his party voted to power, He promised to bring down water bill, electricity bill and remove all corrupt officers and corrupt netas. He promised to give effective and functional government at Delhi without a pitch of corruption and voters imposed full trust on his words and his promises. Voters of Delhi have great expectation from Arvind Kejriwal and AAP . I am great fan of Arvind Kejriwal and I also have great expectation from him not only for Delhi but for entire country.

It is unfortunate that Arvind has denied forming the government even when the eight members of Congress Party are fully ready to extend unconditional support to AAP in formation of the government. 

May I ask Mr. Kejriwal “After all why is he not ready to accept the challenge of changing the system when he has been voted for that?

Does Arvind is inclined to get absolute majority and then only he will form the government. Will he form the government only when he wins all seats in Assembly? 

A person who can lead the civil society movement from Ramlila Ground and who can challenge the well established government, why is he afraid of eight members of congress Party?

Does he doubt the integrity of MLAs elected in the name of Congress Party?

Or the reverse question is whether the MLAs of Congress Party supporting AAP from outside or the Party High Command for that matter will have courage to withdraw support in mid way at least upto the day AAP act in favour of common men and for growth and development of Delhi state?

Answer is that it is not possible for any None- AAP member to put impediment in governance if AAP is right in its course of action.

Arvind Kejriwal should keep in mind that if any of members or Congress Party decides to withdraw the support on good proposals mooted out by AAP and presented in Delhi Assembly, the member thus creating hurdles and the party he is associated with will lose its creditworthiness, its morale and its credibility in public domain.

A party which has got humiliating defeat in the hands of AAP and BJP cannot take such suicidal step of withdrawing support from AAP government.

If AAP introduces strong Jan Lokpal Bill for Delhi and any MLA of BJP or Congress Party dare oppose it, and suppose the bill falls in the assembly and AAP government fails, voters of Delhi will be in more aggressive and express their anger against them and they will wash out all those who oppose the bill proposed by AAP in case of second election.

I therefore feel AAP has got an opportunity to rule Delhi and exhibit their charismatic governance in six months so that they may get bigger victory in forthcoming Lok  Sabha election. AAP can take full advantage of public support it has behind it. They must show the voters that if they come to power they can change the system, they can do better than what traditional parties like congress Party or BJP or any other party can do.

Secondly if AAP think that it is difficult to rule Delhi without having simple majority or absolute majority, then how he or his party expects from BJP forming government. BJP has only 32 members and support of none. How can BJP even pass a simple bill if none of other supports it? 

If somehow or the other BJP forms the government with only 32 members, Congress Party will play their traditional role of opposing what ruling party proposes. 

If AAP also does not promise to extend support on good proposals i.e. on merit basis, how can he dream of BJP ruling Delhi effectively? 

A state cannot run if every party adopts the ‘Dog in the Monger policy’ and everyone starts treating others untouchables.

After all the prime and key property of democratic principles and the most unique characteristic of democratic principles is to listen and respect the views and opinions of opponents. 

How AAP or any other party can imagine of a situation when there will be none to oppose it in the assembly.

And the most undeniable bitter truth is that in next ten years , perhaps there will be no such election either for state assembly or for Parliament when a single party will get clear cut absolute majority.

As number of small parties increases, splitting of votes will be more and number of groups and parties wining small number of seats in Parliament will increase. Gone are days when Congress Party or any other party used to get absolute majority and even two third majority when there used to be more or less two three parties in contest. Now there are different party having stronghold on voters in different states and most of the parties are more or less at daggers drawn to each other and hence it is difficult to have a cohesive and comfortable group of parties to form coalition government and India has experienced the rule of UPA and NDA and third front.

Inspite of all , it has become a compulsion for India to bear with demerit of coalition government at least till the country accepts the importance of bipolar election or at least understand the need of restricting smaller parties to their states and reduce number of parties contesting election for Parliament. 

It is to be kept in mind that if fragmented result comes in the election of a state assembly there is provision of President’s rule in the Constitution , but there is no alternative of forming a coalition government if fragmented result comes in Parliamentary election. A country however cannot be left without government for a longer period. A country cannot wait for longer period on hypothetical idea of forming the government only when a party get absolute majority.

Next Mr. Kejriwal is telling in public domain that leaders of BJP and Congress Party are corrupt and they can form the government jointly. I am unable to understand why he is forcing the corrupt to form the government if he is of the opinion that elected members of BJP and Congress Party are birds of same feather. His movement was to get rid of misrule of Congress Party and BJP. 

How it can be the mind of same Arvind that he suggest BJP and Congress Party to join together and form the government? 

Or else Mr. Arvind is also playing the diplomatic game so that in future he and his party may win all seats.

I however do not accept the logic of Arvind on this point and I hope Arvind will ponder over it seriously .If he is good and effective, it is his duty to form the government and stop corrupt persons coming to power. However I do not agree to his generalized stand that all members elected on the symbol of Congress Party or BJP are bad. 

It cannot be true and acceptable to anyone that voters who elected AAP members are only good and literate and voters who elected BJP and Congress party candidates are bad and fool.

Of course, it may be true to some extent that voters are not happy with the style of functioning under the rule of BJP or Congress Party. And due to this, some section of voters elected members of AAP in preference to that of BJP and Congress Party. 

And when voters have elected a candidate for state assembly, it is the duty of everyone to respect the wishes of voters. 

As a matter of fact as soon as a candidate is elected by voters, he should shed identity of his party, and all of them irrespective of their party tag should sit together in Assembly to try to act and function cohesively in the larger interest of the voters. They all have to remain, adjust and reconcile with others and only then pain of common men will be taken care of. Otherwise these elected members will go on fighting against each other and voters will be left to watch their drama and their fight for finishing others.

AAP has to change this mindset that hitherto prevailed in political arena. When officers of different mindset can work cohesively in an organization, in large corporate house and in large public sector undertakings in the area of their activities successfully, why not MLAs of various parties can sit together to work in the larger interest of the state and in the larger interest of voters irrespective of the caste, community, religion or party they belong to?

AAP is suggesting second election in Delhi only because the verdict is fragmented and none of parties have got clear majority. 

What Arvind Kejriwal will suggest the solution if suppose in forthcoming Parliamentary election also gives fragmented verdict like , AAP get 100 seats out of 540  and BJP  100 , Congress Party  100 , other 25 smaller parties 10 each and none of parties and group win comfortable majority to rule.

Will he advise second election or third or fourth election?

Or he will allow the country to remain without government till majority comes in favour of AAP or BJP or Congress Party?

If not, then he should suggest some practical solution in the frame work of Constitutional provisions or he should suggest amendment in the constitution right now so that Delhi experiment may be taken use of suitable modification if needed in forthcoming Parliamentary election.

It is the need of the hour to reinvent and redefine the provisions of the Constitution and discover   new method to govern in case of fragmented verdict. After all after freedom the makers of Constitution could not visualize a situation which has become almost the unavoidable reality of Indian election.. 

I hope every talented ,intelligent, country lover , media men , civil society member and  constitutional expert should ponder over the situation and suggest best possible solution keeping in view the national reality, national constraints  and national priorities.