A lot has been in news on AAP recently with difference of opinions between leaders, removal requests and voluntary exits. News headlines like “Twin Blows” “No honeymoon for AAP” Founders Leave AAP” etc… Everyone knew that the ride would not be easy. The win was just the start to a long journey. Anyway the BJP folks are finally feeling like they can breathe after their chocking and disastrous election lose. They are using this to the best to show that the voters made a poor choice but what they don’t realize is they have got it all wrong again. I supported AAP but have no reason to defend it yet I think there is a way to look at the issues being highlighted.

1. AAP is not your typical kind of political party and that is why people including supporters and otherwise are confused with the  audio phone conversation (some term horsetrading) that surfaced. If it was any other party no one would have given a damn because that is the norm with those parties. If you support AAP you should be happy that this issue is being discussed as it shows that AAP is not like other parties even the opposition thinks so. Put an inquiry and see what happened; was it what you call horse trading, was it a realignment proposition or buying support for money or favor. An inquiry will tell what was the real state of affairs were. And if AAP is proved to be at fault you can be sure that you will not find a lot of AAP supporters defending it within and outside AAP. That is where AAP in my opinion differs with BJP or congress or any other party.
2. On Anjali Damania leaving, it is a personal choice. But her tweet “I have not come into AAP for this nonsense. I believed him” brings an interesting aspect of AAP that I have mentioned before in my blog. A good amount of AAP leadership came together as part of the anti-corruption movement which also says that at the core there is a very apolitical nature in AAP especially from a party based politics angle.
3. When I say ‘party based apolitical’ nature I mean people can also be inherently idealistic and take decisions too quickly and even on emotions. There will be more cases of individual hurts manifesting in decisions faster unlike other parties. So AAP members and supporters should also understand that while they are not the typical Political party of India they are still a political party and the power and progress is in being together and resolving issues as a party. I am not saying not having transparency and that one needs to defend every act; but quitting does not help either.
4. Now for conflicts within Party members one should again understand that AAP is a fairly new party and so the concept of ‘Party’ takes time to glue into people. There will be a lot of individual love-hate relationships that will come in play between now and that maturity. This whole conflict coming in open is a good thing because as I always have said AAP should remain a party of the common people and that way knowing what is wrong will help correct. Sometimes the process of maturity can be slow, but as long as the governance can be done; rest will fall in place. Yes there is distraction but some distractions are inevitable as the movement grows because AAP needs to be in clarity with the common man and it is not easy a task.
5. The hope that AAP can make a difference coupled with the lack of trust on other big parties was what made people bring AAP to power a second time. And I think AAP should never forget that and so I don’t think anyone in AAP should have an issue of being scrutinized through the same lenses they bring to make things better to India
6. I also feel that over time AAP would have to change the way it structures and operates because politics and activism are not the one and the same always. So even people in AAP will understand that and align, if not these distractions will continue. That being said AAP also should understand that they are not like any other political party and they should not consider their supporters to be like the BJP and Congress Supporters…. :)… There is transparency and with transparency comes a responsibility that other parties don’t really have….

Finally these issues are being discussed in open among supporters and that itself is the big difference we have in politics because the aim of AAP is not to become a BJP or a Congress – just chill…. and for opposition breathe real heard when you can get to it 🙂

Categories: Articles, Articles & Opinions, Politics, Society

Tags: Aam Aadmi Party, AAP Exit, AAP Problems