On Sunday Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal’s sudden decision of releasing the Delhi Chief Minister’s chair within two days is one of his familiar features of throwing up sudden surprises in order to reclaim the narrative and set the terms of contentions. Moreover, it has been also revealed by the AAP leader that by stepping aside he would proceed towards getting an endorsement from the people’s court on his innocence vis a vis corruption charges and is quoting to attain the importance of the seat before the city-state votes for its next government.
A new CM will be having its ability to enable the ongoing process of welfare schemes of AAP government in Delhi and strengthen the ‘Kejriwal model of government’ to continue the party’s aim of attaining power in the next Assembly election. Its populist agenda has done a quite good job in serving the party in the national capital and lifted it to power in its neighbouring state Punjab.
The implementation of schemes
Attaining a new CM will be a helpful feature for AAP to declare and implement fresh schemes and also give ₹1000 every month for women above 18 years as it was promised and fixing current schemes with lesser restrictions. A new person in the system would also force the BJP to look for a new set of reasons to target the AAP exemption in Delhi.
According to officials, the Supreme Court’s bail conditions for Mr. Kejriwal has raised many questions on whether he will be able to ca;l up cabinet meetings, as the file for it needs to be signed by the CM and does not require the Central government-appointed Delhi Lieutenant Governor’s approval. The implementation of fresh schemes and the expansion of several key schemes require Cabinet approval.
Picture credit: ABP news
The AAP government’s promise of giving a stipend of ₹1000 for women is stranded as it is yet to get Cabinet and other approvals. Many other schemes are also stuck due to various reasons- including flagship government job portal, a scheme under which students can get free coaching at private centres for various types of competitive exams, and delivery of government services at people’s doorsteps.
However, AAP’s official is standing even before Mr. Kejriwal walks out of the prison on Friday was that bail conditions would not influence his work as a Chief Minister, as admitted by the party insiders after he steps out of the prison there were confusions that prevailed and they will proceed to the apex court to relax the bail conditions. The reason behind the demand of one the BJP’s debate for Mr. Kejriwal’s resignation is that the CM would be vague in its functioning of the government due to bail conditions and the public will have to suffer.
The working of the government
Over the years, though, AAP’s policies were connected with Hindutva and Nationalism, at the essence of the party’s electoral pitch which contains a large number of welfare measures and “ pro- people” policies. It’s a policy that the current party leaders refined from the days they were part of the India Against Corruption (IAC) movement.
In 2012, the IAC launched ‘Bijli Paani Satyagraha’ and burned power bills and went on demanding that the then Sheila Dikshit- led Delhi government should withdraw power and water tariffs. In 2013, ahead of the Assembly election, AAP launched an extended fast against the “inflated” power bills.
The party removed the power and water subsidies as soon as it came to power for the second time in 2015. The Delhites attain two benefits : zero electricity bill for a household if the monthly consumption is less than 200 units and 20,00 litres of free water to each and every household.
Picture credit: The Hindu
About six months ahead of the upcoming Assembly election in2020, the AAP government declared that bus rides will be free for women and commenced it before the poll. “ If I have done my work and fulfilled your demand, then vote for me”, was Mr. Kejriwal’s message during his campaign.
Since then the party has announced similar schemes under its governance in several different States and also implemented some of them in Punjab under Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
There was no Cabinet meeting commenced ever since Mr. Kejriwal’s arrest by the Enforcement Directorate on March 21. A new CM provides AAP with the path to get the trapped governance area to keep working. But, even Cabinet decisions need compulsory approval of the L-G, it may not be a very easy path ahead.
