The ‘common’ party

• In 2011, Anna Hazare, a social activist, initiated a protest in Delhi, calling for a ‘Jan Lokpal Bill’ to combat corruption.

• The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government was forced to draft a Jan Lokpal Bill, but Arvind Kejriwal, a key architect of the movement, left behind.

• The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) emerged in 2012, aiming to fight corruption and came to power in Delhi in December 2013.

• The party’s success led to its expansion beyond Delhi, with Kejriwal releasing a list of corrupt political leaders in 2014 before the 2014 Lok Sabha election.

• Over the past 12 years, the AAP has evolved from a core ideology of fighting corruption to a party that focuses on it, with changes and contradictions pushing it closer to other political parties.

• The party’s power consolidated in the hands of one man, Arvind Kejriwal, and his inner circle.

• In January 2021, the party amended its constitution, allowing Kejriwal to continue as the national convener.

• The AAP’s electoral politics have become synonymous with Kejriwal, promising welfarism, subsidies, Hindu symbolism, and nationalism.

• During anti-CAA protests, Kejriwal stayed away, stating he would have cleared roads if his government had control of the Delhi Police.

• In 2019, the AAP voted in favor of the abrogation of Article 370 and the Bill stripping Jammu and Kashmir of Statehood.

AAP’s Loss and Future

• In 2022, allegations of a Delhi excise policy scam led to the arrest of senior leaders, including Mr. Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia.

• The AAP supremo resigned as Chief Minister to prove his innocence in ‘Janata Ki Adalat’ (people’s court).

• Both Mr. Kejriwal and Mr. Sisodia lost the election, leaving the AAP with a question of which party lost power in Delhi or the party chief lost the election.

• The party’s worst performance since its formation is seen with only 22 out of 70 seats in Delhi, the worst since its formation.

• The AAP’s vote share in the Delhi election was only 2 percentage point less than that of the BJP.

• The Union government’s change in law in May 2023 gave the control of the bureaucracy in the Delhi government to the Union government-appointed Lieutenant-Governor, a crucial factor in Delhi.

• The AAP’s future is uncertain, with the question of whether it can stand out from other parties or be seen as just another political party.