Call him a ‘dramebaaz’, ‘dharna specialist’, ‘thug’ or an adamant child, the Aam Aadmi Party head honcho knows what he does. Along with his supporting captains, the ‘dharnadhari’ Chief Minister, sitting on a strike at Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal’s visitor lobby since last eight days, has attracted the attention of elite politicians after a gap of four long years.
Generating the heat from air-conditioned lobby, the mechanical engineer turned IRS officer turned activist turned politician, Arvind Kejriwal’s way of adamant politics have raised the eyebrows of the political analysts. Nobody knows what ‘Parivartan’ (change) – also an NGO which he established with Manish Sisodia in 1999 – the national convener will bring next.
His aide Satyender Jain and Manish Sisodia are on hunger strike, along with Kejriwal himself and another minister Gopal Rai on strike. Jain was admitted last night in the hospital, but again after being relieved, came and sat at the ‘dharna’ (agitation). I am confused whether to call it a ‘dharna’ or the dedication to garner support from political parties to build a “Third front”?
If it is the case, the AAP convener has certainly succeeded in its attempt. Not only the chief ministers of four states – West Bengal, Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh – have extended their support, but even Communist Party on India (Marxist) top head Sitaram Yechury jumped into the fore.
The question is not here if the idea of Third Front – unlike Mahagatbandhan with Congress – will work on not, but how will the broom fit in the hammer-sickle symbol? The combination of two highly educated activists turned politicians gives goose bumps for a moment.
Why I am concerned? It’s because the Left never before earlier had supported Kejriwal openly. And Yechury joining the protest marches conducted by the AAP, against NaMo and his co., is like black grains in the pulses.
Yechuri-Kejriwal Ultimate Combination
Considering the fact that both the leaders have proved their potential to be where they are now, and bear clean images when it comes to corruption charges; the ultimate combination of this two will lead to several miles. However, the time to cover the distance can neither be estimated, nor it can be measured.
The revolutionary travelogue of Kejriwal is almost known to all. From quitting his IRS job to forming ‘Parivartan’ and ‘Kabir’ – both NGOs – the AAP convener has been on the agitating mode. His RTI applications, Jan Sunwai (2002), exposing PDS scam (2003) and famous ‘Jan Lokpal’ movement have been a benchmark to remember for the aspiring politicians.
Not only that, his decision to not to stick with palm in 2013 during his first tenure as CM, shows his believe on corruption as cancer. It is perhaps, due to the sit-in politics at any place, that Delhiites gave him a thumping majority in 2015, sweeping the Congress from the Delhi Legislative Assembly.
Though his tiff with Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung turned Delhi into a war zone, the current scene with Anil Baijal remains to be the same.
On the other hand, the political history of once jailed during Emergency (1975), the JNUite Sitaram Yechury remains a lesson to remember. A scholar since birth, Yechury secured a first rank all across India in his 12th class. Since then it never stopped, with continuing his race at St. Stephan’s and Jawaharlal Nehru University.
But the activism he experienced during the Telengana Agitation in 1969, inspired him to join the Students’ Federation of India, which ultimately sent him to jail during the Emergency in 1975. Though the stalwart had to quit his PhD, he rose to the become the General Secretary of the party in no time.
Known for raising questions on proper issues, his justification on disrupting the Parliament, calling it a legitimate process in democracy – had irked Bharatiya Janata Party and brought embarrassment to NaMo and team quite a time.
Yechury and Kejriwal Together: What it Means?
When two corrupt leaders meet, there is a big scam; but when two activists meet there is hope of ‘parivartan’. Kejriwal standing against Union government led by BJP and Yechury always against the saffron front, the situation looks quite complex, yet easy.
Both these leader have clean image, and their political party’s symbol too resembles the same. One cuts and another sweeps. But, the irony with both the parties is that they have lost their popularity in the last couple of years and in an attempt are doing whatever seams feasible.
However, the complex mystery of Yechury collaborating with Indian National Congress in West Bengal, but rival in Kerala, is exactly the same for Kejriwal. Even though AAP and Congress want to ally, they cannot, as either one have to leave Delhi.
The current situation in the capital denotes that even though Mamata Banerjee, Kumaraswamy, Chandrababu Naidu and Pinarayi Vijayaan have joined hands, the coin remains to be in the hands of Yechury who will decide whether a ‘Third Front’ will succeed or the coalition of United Progressive Alliance will continue to sustain for the upcoming General Elections in 2019.