It was the Ramlila ground then, it is the Ramlila ground now.
A zealous Arvind Kejriwal had assumed the role of Delhi’s Chief Minister on December 28, 2013 for a brief 49 days.
This time, having returned with a thumping majority, a more determined looking Kejriwal’s voice resounded once again through the grounds. It was possibly, the same blue sweater. And the same Manna Dey song.
During his first stint, Kejriwal had struggled to garner support for the Janlokpal Bill. Back in February 2014, Kejriwal, leading a minority government, with 28 seats in the Assembly, needed Congress support to see the Bill through. But as failure seemed imminent, his frustration reflected in his body language.
This time around, with an unprecedented 67 out of 70 seats in AAP’s pocket, there is no longer any doubt who is calling the shots.
In the face of criticism Kejriwal has gone ahead with his promises of cutting power tariffs by 50% for upto 400 units of consumption, and providing 20 kilo liters of free water for every household. He has also put into process AAP’s plan to regularise unauthorised colonies. The Congress and the BJP, now reduced to mere bystanders.
An angry Kejriwal had taken to Delhi’s streets once again in February last year, just days before he resigned. More the anarchist than the politician, he was found camping with blankets, brooms, microphones and a thermos flask outside the Shastri Bhawan in Lutyens Delhi.
The then UPA Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde called him a “mad Chief Minister.”
The ‘Mad CM’ has now turned a new leaf. The process started with a famous ‘apology’ to the people of Delhi. The novice grew into a hardened politician. Returning to power on the promise of ‘5 Saal, Kejriwal’, he has put confrontation and ‘dharnas’ on the back-burner, for now.
AAP, by its own admission, has now traded ideology for pragmatism. Most pragmatic has been the choice of rebuilding the party around the personality cult of Kejriwal. At first it was an election strategy. It has now become a core value - AAP is Arvind, Arvind is AAP.
Kejriwal’s blue-eyed carrier, his Wagon-R, proved most faithful during his first stint. The CM was found making his way to the Delhi Secretariat in this modest vehicle, to clearly underline his ‘Aam Aadmi’ credentials.
In 2015, the Wagon-R now stands forgotten, not sure where. The Delhi CM has now upgraded himself to a Toyota Innova.
The Aam Aadmi Party was founded by the likes of Kejriwal, along with Yogendra Yadav, Prashant and Shanti Bhushan.
In early 2014, not only was Yogendra Yadav the spokesperson of the party, but he was also Kejriwal’s right-hand man.
Today, after a Stalin style purge, executed by his new team of henchmen, Kejriwal stands unchallenged within AAP, with almost every veteran out in the cold.
49 days then. 49 days now. They could not have been more different.
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