AAP Has “Lost It’s Moral Sheen … the Idea Aap Wasn’t Corrupt Has Simply Gone”

1 month ago 28

AAP has "lost it's moral sheen ..... the idea AAP wasn't corrupt has simply gone": Yogendra Yadav to Karan Thapar for The Wire. .......................................... In an interview to discuss the Delhi results, which he calls “a referendum on the Aam Aadmi Party”, Yogendra Yadav has said the Aam Aadmi Party has “lost its moral sheen. It’s worn off … the idea AAP was not corrupt has simply gone.” In a 30-minute interview to Karan Thapar for The Wire, Yogendra Yadav, the National Convener of the Bharat Jodo Abhiyan, said the Aam Aadmi Party “was a mission but … it wasn’t changing politics but politics was changing Aam Aadmi … over the years the mission wore off.” Speaking about Arvind Kejriwal, Mr. Yadav said although “he has no ethical bone in his body”, he does have “a serious capacity to fight back and rebuild”. Although Arvind Kejriwal’s image has changed greatly from the days when he was called muffler man and had a recurring cough, the Aam Aadmi Party still has a vote share of nearly 44% (just 2% less than the BJP) and it retains its appeal as far as the Muslims, Dalits and the poor residents of Delhi are concerned. Mr. Yadav describes Muslims, specifically, as “hostages”, in the sense that whilst they may have sympathies for the Congress they have no other credible option but to vote for Aam Aadmi. In the interview, Mr. Yadav also speaks extensively about the future of Congress in Delhi and whether this result shows that Delhi has become like Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Orissa i.e. a state where the Party is unlikely to recover. Mr. Yadav also speaks at length about the BJP and Narendra Modi. Does the Delhi result show that the national election results of June 2024 now look like an anomaly? Second, Lok Sabha seats apart, what’s the difference between Modi 2.0 and Modi 3.0? For all practical purposes, doesn’t the Prime Minister seem as powerful today as he was a year ago? I will stop there. To help you follow the interview which is detailed and richly analytical, I will give you the questions asked. Here they are:- 1) The Aam Aadmi Party has suffered a major defeat losing 48-22 in Delhi. Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, Saurabh Bhardwaj and Satyendar Jain were all defeated. No one had forecast such a debacle. In your estimation how serious is it? 2) What would you say is responsible for Aam Aadmi Party’s defeat? The liquor scam, sheesh mahal allegations, pollution or the aapda charge, which many believe stuck and stung? 3) There is a view that the Aam Aadmi Party, which emerged out of a movement, over the next decade lost its sense of mission and therefore its special connect with the people. As Dipanker Gupta puts it, it therefore lost its raison d’être. Would you agree the problem is deeper than just the things that went wrong? 4) There is a view that because in 13 seats the vote for Congress was greater than the difference between BJP and Aam Aadmi Party, Congress shares responsibility for Aam Aadmi Party’s defeat. To what extent do you agree or to what extent do you disagree? 5) If you go by their combined vote share an Aam Aadmi Party – Congress alliance could have won or, at least, prevented such a sizeable BJP victory. Was it a mistake not to forge an alliance? And if the answer is yes, who do you blame? 6) Analysts are now speculating that in two years Aam Aadmi Party could lose Punjab as well. If that happens, would it amount to a death blow and a wipe out? 7) How do you see Arvind Kejriwal’s future? There was a time when he used to boast that Modi couldn’t defeat him in this lifetime. Now that he’s lost, does he have the strength to fight back? 8) In the days when he was called muffler man and wore the white Aam Aadmi topi, Kejriwal had an image that conveyed simplicity, incorruptibility and clean governance. By 2025 he lost or squandered it and in its place he seemed a conventional politician. Now it will be impossible to recreate what he’s lost. 9) On the critical issue of hindutva, rather than oppose it Kejriwal came across as a B-team supporter. That blurred the distinction between Aam Aadmi and BJP during the Citizenship Amendment Act protests and during the Delhi riots. Was that a mistake? Or wise politics? 10) For a moment let’s focus on Congress. This is the third consecutive election where the party failed to win even a single seat. Although this time its vote share has increased to 6.38%, it lost its deposit in 67 out of 70 seats. Is Delhi beginning to look like Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu i.e. a state where the party is unlikely to recover? Join The Wire's Youtube Membership and get exclusive content, member-only emojis, live interaction with The Wire's founders, editors and reporters and much more. Memberships to The Wire Crew start at Rs 89/month. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChWtJey46brNr7qHQpN6KLQ/join

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