AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal interacts with party officials in Chandni Chowk, New Delhi, November 17, 2024.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) national convenor and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been holding interactive sessions with party workers in the national capital, telling them about some dos and don’ts they have to observe when they reach out to the public ahead of the Assembly election scheduled for February 2025.

“Listen to all that the people have to say patiently. Do not try to counter them. Tell them politely, ‘you are right, we will make amends’ or ‘we will take care of the shortcomings’,” said Kejriwal at one such interaction.

He also told the party workers that this is going to be an extremely tough election. “Please be aware that the coming election will test our grit. Many of you are not full-time workers. I request you to take leave from your office for the next three months. We have to immerse ourselves completely into these elections. It may be the toughest we have faced so far,” he said.

Kejriwal speaks softly at the meetings, smiles often and comes across as a wise elder in the family offering sane counsel. There is no grandstanding. This is a Kejriwal who knows the Assembly election in Delhi will be the toughest he and his party have contested so far. He openly admits to it. Out on bail in the excise policy case, he has already said this election is about seeking the certificate of honesty from the people’s court.

Kejriwal is clearly on the back foot. He knows the allegations of corruption against him and his party colleagues, especially the excise policy case, have robbed the AAP of its image of being a party with a difference. He also knows that his party has been in power in Delhi for more than 10 years now, and there is bound to be dissatisfaction on the ground and a willingness on part of the voter to explore other options.

Also Read | Is Kejriwal’s exit as Delhi Chief Minister a masterstroke or blunder?

Yet, he continues to be the AAP’s best bet in Delhi. He remains the face of the party, its main crowd-puller and its primary decision-maker. But there is a realisation among the party’s strategists that his image has taken a beating and that explains Kejriwal’s announcement at a recent interaction with party workers that sitting MLAs can hope to get tickets again only if they have lived up to the expectations of the people.

This shows that Kejriwal knows his campaign alone will not be enough this time to help the party win. The image of the local candidate, and any dissatisfaction against a sitting MLA, would be factors that his popularity alone may not be enough to override.

A shrewd politician, he has been quick to respond to the prevailing political situation and adapt to it. That explains the different versions of Kejriwal that Delhi has seen since 2013 when the AAP first contested an election in the capital.

The surprise haul

“Arvind Kejriwal is under tremendous pressure as the BJP is using Delhi as a laboratory to test the efficacy of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act to corner its political opponents. He is on the back foot because he has to deal with the bouncers thrown at him by the BJP. He cannot do that by being on the front foot,” says Abhay Kumar Dubey, Professor at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies.

In 2013, he was the quintessential aam aadmi who had entered politics in a bid to challenge the corrupt political class. He was the “muffler man” (dubbed so because of the muffler he wrapped around his head and neck to protect himself from Delhi’s winters as he sat on a dharna or held a protest). An activist-turned-politician, he had an angry and intense look about him as he challenged established politicians.

He stood against then-Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit in the 2013 election and defeated her as his party won a surprise haul of 24 seats. Kejriwal took oath as Chief Minister, but his government lasted only 48 days. Kejriwal resigned over the failure of his government to get the Jan Lokpal Bill passed; he accused the Congress and the BJP of colluding with industrialist Mukesh Ambani to thwart the proposed legislation.

In the 2015 Assembly election, the AAP’s slogan was “Paanch Saal Kejriwal’, conveying the idea that this time around, the government would last a full five years. In his public meetings, Kejriwal would apologise to the people for having resigned in his first term. This strategy was developed in response to the feedback that the people of Delhi were not happy with Kejriwal’s decision to put in his papers.

He assured the people he was not going anywhere. In that election, the AAP won an astounding mandate of 67 out of 70 seats in the Assembly. The AAP proclaimed that the muffler man had defeated the mighty BJP that had deployed all its top leaders in its campaign in Delhi.

No longer ‘muffler man’

In the 2020 Assembly election, Kejriwal came across as a smiling “dutiful son”, who had helped the elderly in the capital go on pilgrimage, or the dependable “elder brother” who was helping families in financial distress save money through government’s schemes, especially free electricity, water supply and bus travel for women.

Also Read | Delhi battleground: How AAP-Congress alliance takes on BJP amid Kejriwal’s arrest saga

The muffler vanished, and with that the image of an activist-politician out to change the system. In its place was a smiling Kejriwal, a family man who empathised with the problems of the common man. The message conveyed was that he was using his position of power to help ordinary families tide over their economic problems and would continue to do so. So, the party’s slogan in that election became “Acchhe Beete Paanch Saal, Lage Raho Kejriwal”.

According to political analyst Harjeshwar Pal Singh, Kejriwal is battling a huge image problem in this election. “When he had come into politics, Kejriwal projected himself as a humble, common man and as an incorruptible “kattar imaandar”. His appearance—characterised by oversized shirts and chappals—has changed; he now lives in palatial houses and moves amidst big security. His ‘honest politician’ image has suffered due to the excise policy matter and other cases,” he said.

Over the past decade, Kejriwal and the AAP have come a long way in Delhi and beyond. As they face their toughest election so far in the capital, the former Chief Minister goes to the people, not with confident strides but with folded hands and his head bent in appeal.

ISLAMABAD:

The Ministry of Climate Change has become the centre of internal conflict over efforts to reinstate a senior official, Mujtaba Hussain, who was previously removed over corruption allegations. The power struggle within the ministry is reportedly driven by top political figures pushing for his return, despite ongoing investigations.

Sources told The Express Tribune that a former climate ministry secretary was recently removed after refusing to interview Hussain, who was being considered for a key position in the climate authority. Hussain had previously served as an additional secretary in the climate ministry but was dismissed after being accused of illegal gains from donors and development projects.

An inquiry had been launched into Hussain’s conduct, with the establishment secretary informed by the former climate secretary that Hussain, due to his long tenure, had developed personal interests within the ministry. He was accused of using his position for personal gain, seeking favours from those conducting official business, and interacting with donor agencies through his personal email without proper approval.

The investigation into Hussain’s conduct is ongoing, with the outcome to be reported to the Establishment Division. The inquiry also revealed that Hussain had fostered divisions within the ministry and discouraged officials from cooperating with the secretary, disrupting the ministry’s performance.

Recently, a new controversy arose when Hussain attended an interview for a member position on the climate authority without the necessary permission from the relevant ministry. His lack of a No Objection Certificate (NOC) led to his disqualification from the shortlist. Sources claim that political leaders had pressured the former climate secretary, Ezaz Dar, to allow Hussain to participate in the interview. However, when Dar asked about the NOC, Hussain did not have one, and his application was rejected.

The climate ministry has been accused of becoming a hotbed of corruption due to the involvement of NGOs, and the former secretary had reportedly requested to be relieved from his duties. Documents reveal that the new climate secretary has initiated efforts to remove Senior Joint Secretary Hassan Raza and Additional Secretary Syed Iftikhar, allegedly without valid charges. This move is seen as an attempt to clear the way for Hussain’s return.

In a surprising move, despite the presence of Additional Secretary Syed Iftikhar, the charge for his position was handed over to Senior Joint Secretary Muhammad Farooq on a temporary basis.

Documents obtained by The Express Tribune show that the former climate secretary had previously written to the Establishment Division, warning about Hussain’s conduct. The letter detailed Hussain’s refusal to hand over official records after his dismissal and his unauthorised attendance at international meetings without securing proper approval.

Hussain has been accused of creating misunderstandings between ministers and secretaries, frequently violating government protocols, and delaying compliance with orders from the ministry. Due to these actions, the Establishment Division was asked to permanently transfer Hussain from the Ministry of Climate Change and prevent him from being posted in any department that interacts with donor agencies.

When contacted, Hussain, who is currently serving in the Ministry of Water Resources, denied the allegations and claimed they were the result of professional jealousy. He added that his desire to work in the climate ministry stemmed from his academic background in environmental studies, which he believed made him well-suited for the role.

Despite denying the charges of illegal gains from donors and development projects, Hussain admitted to having dealt with donors during his time in the Economic Affairs Division without facing similar allegations. Attempts to reach the current climate ministry secretary for comment went unanswered.