So ‘Mere Baap Pehle AAP’ has finally become the slogan of today’s Indian politics, at least the politics of adjustment, if the word compromise stinks much to make our holy nationalist politicians feel awkward before public. But the problem really lies somewhere behind the scenes appearing after Delhi election result specially after the confirmation of AAP emergence toward power. It is beyond any doubt about the logic of the emergence of ‘AAP’ or signification of the syntax ‘Aam Admi Party’. The syntax has broken the modernity of traditional political representation toward creating a condition, using the election transit amid the ‘power politics’ and ‘politics of power’ on either side. The election transit has given ‘AAP’ enough space to place their manifesto of promises. Nothing more than saying that this ‘AAP’ has used this ‘election transit’ most effectively for two reasons: first, they did not have any formational tradition; second, they used this ‘no-tradition’ condition to transcend the traditional political representational parameters and popular political forms. The popular nomenclature or appearance or logo of this no-tradition condition is, as they used significantly, the ‘anti corruption’ party. In this way ‘AAP’ has grafted its root in Indian political system leaving even Anna’s anti-corruption logo far behind.
Genealogy of a condition faces challenge
Now if this is the genealogy of Arvind Kejriwal and his ‘Aam Admi Party’ or ‘Aap’ we are witnessing a different ball game after the election where this genealogy has become a new condition where the politics of power is playing a new trick. In every hung-house condition in Parliamentary politics, apart from very few instances of real political-ideological combinations, there somehow a horse-trading situation generates where either horse trading or any nearing post-poll adjustment rules the order. But this time the situation is made up by new colour combinations. The anti-corruption logo or the ‘AAP’ has gained enough political support but an ‘iconic’ short of new power destination. The public support for ‘AAP’ has replaced two political conditions: one, it is placed on the debris of political corruptions and this time in the regime of Congress; secondly, it has gone against all traditional political representations, as said earlier, that include parties like BJP too. The new condition has therefore replaced all mythic political forms. But this not the real end in the Indian constitutionality and this time it is not evident in the outcome where Congress has constitutionally rendered their support to ‘AAP’ to for the government. The real trick lies in the principle behind where real power politics still works even after the election. Now Congress is taking stance to let ‘AAP’ sit in power and BJP is in traditional opposition by criticizing ‘AAP’ for taking Congress support.
The ball game therefore lies in the bourgeois ideology where Congress suddenly has come forward to render support to its destroyer who has already promised to enquire all corruption incidents with a clear intimidation of putting the guilty behind the bar. BJP might have enjoyed the situation for reasons like, first, they are the newly emerged political force in four states; and secondly, they defeated Congress in four state assemblies. But it remains as disturbing as it is for Congress to define the long underestimated ‘AAP’ and their emergence in Indian politics. Both Congress and BJP do not have any new or de novo approach to deal with ‘AAP’ politics. So they went on attacking ‘AAP’ quite traditionally which did not work in the election. Basically these political parties with their old mythic traditions had a tough fight with a newer and very unknown ‘condition’. So the real fight took place between ‘corruption’ or ‘establishments’ and anti-incumbent promises (conditions) that not only kept both political establishments away from power but gave them a lesson of new political identity beyond their attainability.
But bourgeoisie comprising of two such major parties and their political allies won’t let it go likewise. They, as said, have started a new ball game to transform this new condition into another mythic ‘form’, as they are, with all flaws and of course new corruptions to restore the political equilibratory system. Commercial media houses have already started excavating flaws and corruption of AAP. Congress for this reason has rendered its support to keep ‘AAP’ away from the newly emerged condition that actually gained the public support.
Pressure mounting on 'AAP'
With that announcement of support even before ‘AAP’ could come out with any decision the Indian bourgeoisie has come out with a different trick. Both Congress and BJP have tactfully started clamouring that 'AAP' should form the government and fulfill what it has promised in the manifesto. Congress has already rendered its support, albeit not obviously unconditional but performance based as said the former Chief Minister Sheila Dixit. BJP has decided to sit in opposition bench. Now the question arises why 'AAP' could not stick to its earlier position of not accepting the power putting therefore counter pressure on Congress and BJP? Bourgeoisie, precisely Bourgeois parties in this way had made its first triumph to settle its position by transferring the onus on the third or newly emerged force and the so called third force has consequently placed its submission. 'AAP' however kept on justifying its position and the renewal of its owned condition by playing a 'counter' but a very old fashioned prank as taking 'mass consent' using new communication technology. Quite naturally with 74%, as they announced, of people's ‘social network based’ consent the 'AAP' has decided to form the government not by committing Congress’ support overtly.
In this way, a new political power condition is ready to emerge where for the first time bourgeois parties will play on and common people and media will focus on fulfillment of promises with an unprecedented importance thus overruling the precedence of having almost nothing from the manifestoes fulfilled earlier in the history Indian democracy. BJP on the other hand is not expected to fulfill its promises given in three other states, Madhyapradesh, Rajasthan, and Chattisgarh with such a heed. So is Congress in Mizoram. But here the bourgeois parties or the bourgeoisie is paying its full attention to corner ‘AAP’ to a large extent before fulfillment. It is like two contestants are expecting the third contestant doing good result in the same examination.
AAP-promises-government axis
Now if anyone moves into the promises made by ‘AAP’ it would come out that it caters only on the unfulfilled or fake promises of Congress or categorically the ruling party. So they have made their agenda quite realistic and plausible to accomplish. So the AAP on the one hand provided plausible or realistic promises which convinced a large section of urban population and made a successful alternative to all traditional manifestoes on the other having propagated a clear message that — okay, we have come out with a newer pledge to execute the manifesto which others did never before. Such anti-establishment message or manifesto is very common to those parties and platforms which people usually do not pay much attention to, and categorized ‘others’ in media poll analyses. But this time with the streams of Lokpal-Lokayukta debate people of Delhi have done it which was quite naturally unexpected to all established parties. AAP has therefore emphasized particularly on civic issues like, water and electricity issues, which are long unfulfilled in many Indian states. These two aspects on the other hand are prime essentials of industrialization for which citizens have long been deprived of getting minimum civic amenities. Some state governments are providing extra-requisite water and electricity to those industries at the cost of civic development. So it is not the question of BJP or Congress to accomplish the job but it is the ‘AAP’ which has made it an issue of accomplishment by breaking all earlier manifesto-narratives. That basically and suddenly unites BJP and Congress to say that — we should give AAP a chance to fulfill what they promised, as if they have a long tradition of fulfilling their promises!! This invitation therefore is neither natural at all nor is it the real support being rendered by the Congress already. It has become an acid test for ‘AAP’ to accomplish the promises.
But it is for sure that the ‘AAP’ syntax is now made up not just to fulfill the promises but to shatter all earlier development narratives which Arvind Kejriwal and his associates know it very well and the difficulty to attain it too along with. But the AAP leadership despite all impossibilities has accepted the prods of all opposition parties and come forward to form the government without majority. It has also accepted the onus, as given by two major parties, to form the holy government taking it for granted that Congress and BJP will never support each other. So it is the only party to form a minority government. Bourgeois political forces have again won the game. The only hope remains that AAP is not the proletariat force. So it would any day be ready maintain the equilibrium of the Indian political system. The revolutionary destination of Aam Admi Party would therefore be to form a minority government to avoid another election and also to pay respect to the wish of the traditional political rulers.
