The Aam Admi Party’s success in Delhi was spectacular; it was  evidently the result of the pent up anger of the common man against all that was wrong in the governance of Delhi (really at the Centre). It was an emphatic rejection of a Government that was opaque and deaf. The romance of the underdog knocking out a bully was riveting. It did not seem possible for a ragtag campaign to uproot well entrenched politicos. AAP broke the barriers of caste and creed. Those who had no connection with politics left their jobs to mobilise people and cleanse politics. Is it a paradigm shift where politics can be clean? The singular achievement of the AAP is that it eradicated the disenchantment of the educated middle class with politics, their belief that their opinions did not count and raised the conviction that they could indeed make a difference to national politics. The AAP is sincere in its pronouncements but will it be effective in converting its promises into reality? The earnest wish of its well wishers is that it should not fail. Its ambition to become a national force is receiving enthusiastic support but will populism be its pitfall?

2. Arvind Kejriwal carries the hopes of politically unaffiliated people all over the country. He has now secured the blessings of Anna Hazare who initially seemed at odds with the AAP. The expectation that Delhi could become a template for the rest of the country is exciting but daunting. The enthusiasm of the middle classes makes it look as if the country is on the verge of a non-violent revolution. However, remember the post-1977 Total Revolution, the euphoria and the disillusionment? – And VP Singh’s crusade against corruption? AAP’s own promises have no built-in practical mechanisms. Will those be fulfilled? Can the anti-corruption platform serve to resolve all national problems? Will its freebies stand the test of economics? Self-righteousness can be the enemy of men in public life. Doubts persist as Kejriwal’s leftist tilt and populist slogans come in the way of pragmatism. His and Prashant Bhushan’s attacks on the rich are worrying for the industry too. The lack of cohesion on national issues has already become a problem with Prashant Bhushan voicing his well-known divergent views on J&K. What about Naxalism, terrorism, liberalization, farmers’ demands, power shortages, environmental issues, foreign relations?