In April and August 2012, when anti-corruption crusader and veteran Gandhian Anna Hazare sat on fasts in Delhi, lakhs flocked to the venue and millions took to the streets all across the nation. It was an unprecedented public backlash against the political class, forcing it into a huddle.
The one unassuming angry young man who did the talking for Hazare and his team was Arvind Kejriwal. He was the one who could whisper important messages into the fasting leader's ears. He was also seen addressing no-holds-barred press conferences in which he took on the entire political fraternity as one common enemy of the country.
No grandeur of persona, no forceful voice, this young man just looked like the guy next door, the aam admi. And yet, he spoke with a weight that hung heavy in our minds. He carried an aura of truthfulness, brute honesty and hope for the country.
The political class hated this guy in unequivocal terms. They dared him to contest polls and change the system if this bothered him that much.
Riding on a huge wave of public support, Kejriwal bit the bait and broke away from Hazare. A little more than a year later, he is a politician and embattled as much.
He has just submitted a voluminous 37-page reply to the Election Commission, denying having violated the Model Code of Conduct by distributing pamphlets and appealing to Muslims in Delhi for votes on religious grounds. Kejriwal has cited instances of the past when similar pamphlets were distributed by others which were not considered as a violation of the poll code.
Then a couple of days ago, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit told a private news channel that she believes a recent sting operation against Kejriwal's Aam Admi Party (AAP) has ensured that "the self certification of great honesty that was given, is washed out".
"The person who came with a very clean image now has a darkened image. That's all I can say," she said about Kejriwal who is contesting the Delhi elections on an anti-corruption plank and has directly challenged Dikshit in her constituency, New Delhi.
An NGO which claims to work for the welfare of auto-rickshaw drivers has withdrawn its support to the AAP and begun a campaign against the party after an auto-rickshaw driver initially decided to contest from the Kalkaji seat in Delhi as an AAP candidate was later dropped.
The guru-disciple equations are not fine either. Confusion and accusations have dominated the relationship between Kerjiwal and Hazare of late. So much so that a former member of Team Anna has alleged that Kejriwal wanted Hazare to sacrifice his life during the latter's fast-unto-death against corruption in 2011.
Swami Agnivesh, whose middle name is controversy, told reporters early this week: "During the anti-corruption protests in Delhi, Kejriwal told us that revolution demands martyrdom... Hence, Kejriwal was trying to further intensify the agitation, and if Anna had sacrificed his life during the fast, Kejriwal would have been the sole successor of the movement."
Agnivesh was ousted from Team Anna for his alleged proximity to the UPA government.
Although most opinion poll surveys have predicted a tripartite struggle for power in Delhi with AAP getting to play at least a third role, Kejriwal's tone has changed.
That confident voice resonating from the radio sets claiming that AAP would surely form the government in Delhi this time has mellowed. On Wednesday, he said he would not quit even if his party lost the December 4 Assembly elections in Delhi. "I won't quit even if AAP loses the Delhi elections. I'm here for good. I want to make India corruption free," Kejriwal said in interview to a news channel.
Time for his political adversaries to cheer? He never had any friends in the fraternity by the way.
Far from that.
While the Assembly elections in Delhi are still weeks away, Kejriwal has already won. He took up the challenge of the political class, entered their arena, braved the ignominy of vigorous smear campaigns and yet did not resort to the stealth and cunning so crucial there to survive.
He is here and kicking.
In less than a few months, Kejriwal has raised a political force of the aam admi. For the past six decades, the political fraternity appealed to the common man to join politics and change its negative image. They also made sure those who joined learnt the lesson of their lives and ran away.
Every small town has reputed doctors, scientists, teachers and social workers. But then who forms the political fraternity of those towns? A group of men who rise in politics because of their association to senior politicians. The political class has encased itself into an impregnable circle where a new entrant can move further only when he submits to their rules and tricks.
It has been like this for decades.
There have been a few unsuccessful attempts by outsiders to form political parties, but none has succeeded to the even reach the level Kejriwal has reached even before Delhi polls.
A group of IITians had formed a political party called Lok Parivartan in 2006, but failed to withstand the challenges that come with it. The party contested Tamil Nadu elections in 2006 in seven constituencies, but failed to pull crowd. It was eventually split.
Another example is the Lok Satta party. Founded by Jayaprakash Narayan, a former IAS officer and renowned activist from Andhra Pradesh, the Lok Satta Movement functioned as a non-governmental organization since 1996. Started as a citizen movement in Andhra Pradesh, Lok Satta later spread across the country, including Mumbai. In 2006, the movement was reorganised into a formal political party, which is now present in AP, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Maharashtra.
This is Kejriwal's victory. He has already raised an army of common people to contest elections. They do not wear white kurta-pyjamas, are not flanked by henchmen and do not move around in swanky SUVs with beacon lights.
While pre-poll surveys have predicted as high as 40 per cent votes in AAP's favour. That may seem exaggerated and may prove so. Even if he manages to get four per cent, he is a clear winner. Because he may not win the election, but he has won the challenge. He has proven that it's possible to enter politics without having a political background. There's no other party that has created so much buzz without being led by seasoned politicians.
He has beat them in their own game and on their own turf.
The one unassuming angry young man who did the talking for Hazare and his team was Arvind Kejriwal. He was the one who could whisper important messages into the fasting leader's ears. He was also seen addressing no-holds-barred press conferences in which he took on the entire political fraternity as one common enemy of the country.
No grandeur of persona, no forceful voice, this young man just looked like the guy next door, the aam admi. And yet, he spoke with a weight that hung heavy in our minds. He carried an aura of truthfulness, brute honesty and hope for the country.
The political class hated this guy in unequivocal terms. They dared him to contest polls and change the system if this bothered him that much.
Riding on a huge wave of public support, Kejriwal bit the bait and broke away from Hazare. A little more than a year later, he is a politician and embattled as much.
He has just submitted a voluminous 37-page reply to the Election Commission, denying having violated the Model Code of Conduct by distributing pamphlets and appealing to Muslims in Delhi for votes on religious grounds. Kejriwal has cited instances of the past when similar pamphlets were distributed by others which were not considered as a violation of the poll code.
Then a couple of days ago, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit told a private news channel that she believes a recent sting operation against Kejriwal's Aam Admi Party (AAP) has ensured that "the self certification of great honesty that was given, is washed out".
"The person who came with a very clean image now has a darkened image. That's all I can say," she said about Kejriwal who is contesting the Delhi elections on an anti-corruption plank and has directly challenged Dikshit in her constituency, New Delhi.
An NGO which claims to work for the welfare of auto-rickshaw drivers has withdrawn its support to the AAP and begun a campaign against the party after an auto-rickshaw driver initially decided to contest from the Kalkaji seat in Delhi as an AAP candidate was later dropped.
The guru-disciple equations are not fine either. Confusion and accusations have dominated the relationship between Kerjiwal and Hazare of late. So much so that a former member of Team Anna has alleged that Kejriwal wanted Hazare to sacrifice his life during the latter's fast-unto-death against corruption in 2011.
Swami Agnivesh, whose middle name is controversy, told reporters early this week: "During the anti-corruption protests in Delhi, Kejriwal told us that revolution demands martyrdom... Hence, Kejriwal was trying to further intensify the agitation, and if Anna had sacrificed his life during the fast, Kejriwal would have been the sole successor of the movement."
Agnivesh was ousted from Team Anna for his alleged proximity to the UPA government.
Although most opinion poll surveys have predicted a tripartite struggle for power in Delhi with AAP getting to play at least a third role, Kejriwal's tone has changed.
That confident voice resonating from the radio sets claiming that AAP would surely form the government in Delhi this time has mellowed. On Wednesday, he said he would not quit even if his party lost the December 4 Assembly elections in Delhi. "I won't quit even if AAP loses the Delhi elections. I'm here for good. I want to make India corruption free," Kejriwal said in interview to a news channel.
Time for his political adversaries to cheer? He never had any friends in the fraternity by the way.
Far from that.
While the Assembly elections in Delhi are still weeks away, Kejriwal has already won. He took up the challenge of the political class, entered their arena, braved the ignominy of vigorous smear campaigns and yet did not resort to the stealth and cunning so crucial there to survive.
He is here and kicking.
In less than a few months, Kejriwal has raised a political force of the aam admi. For the past six decades, the political fraternity appealed to the common man to join politics and change its negative image. They also made sure those who joined learnt the lesson of their lives and ran away.
Every small town has reputed doctors, scientists, teachers and social workers. But then who forms the political fraternity of those towns? A group of men who rise in politics because of their association to senior politicians. The political class has encased itself into an impregnable circle where a new entrant can move further only when he submits to their rules and tricks.
It has been like this for decades.
There have been a few unsuccessful attempts by outsiders to form political parties, but none has succeeded to the even reach the level Kejriwal has reached even before Delhi polls.
A group of IITians had formed a political party called Lok Parivartan in 2006, but failed to withstand the challenges that come with it. The party contested Tamil Nadu elections in 2006 in seven constituencies, but failed to pull crowd. It was eventually split.
Another example is the Lok Satta party. Founded by Jayaprakash Narayan, a former IAS officer and renowned activist from Andhra Pradesh, the Lok Satta Movement functioned as a non-governmental organization since 1996. Started as a citizen movement in Andhra Pradesh, Lok Satta later spread across the country, including Mumbai. In 2006, the movement was reorganised into a formal political party, which is now present in AP, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Maharashtra.
This is Kejriwal's victory. He has already raised an army of common people to contest elections. They do not wear white kurta-pyjamas, are not flanked by henchmen and do not move around in swanky SUVs with beacon lights.
While pre-poll surveys have predicted as high as 40 per cent votes in AAP's favour. That may seem exaggerated and may prove so. Even if he manages to get four per cent, he is a clear winner. Because he may not win the election, but he has won the challenge. He has proven that it's possible to enter politics without having a political background. There's no other party that has created so much buzz without being led by seasoned politicians.
He has beat them in their own game and on their own turf.
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