Arvind Kejriwal | India Writes

AAP gets a second chance… But can the party build on it?

February 13, 2015February 13, 2015 - by India Writes Network

In Indian politics, you have heard of a simple majority, a two-third victory, or a three-fourth sweep. But surely you have never heard of a nine-tenths tsunami.The Aam Aadmi Party’s victory in 67 out of 70 Delhi Assembly seats has simply blown the established parties like the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress out of the water.It has inflicted by far the most crushing defeat to its opposition in independent India’s electoral history.
At least when the Janata Party swept the Congress out from every seat in an arc from Gujarat to Orissa in the post-Emergency election of 1977, the Congress managed to retain some ‘izzat’ by sweeping the poll in Andhra, Karnataka and Kerala.But the BJP and Congress have been left with no comfort in the Delhi Assembly 2015 poll outcome.

Delhi loves Kejriwal, swearing-in on Valentine’s Day

February 11, 2015February 13, 2015 - by India Writes Network

Delhi loves Arvind Kejriwal. Fittingly, Kejriwal, the man who has created history by winning 67 seats in Delhi assembly, will be sworn in as the chief minister of the city state on February 14, Valentine’s Day.
The blockbuster victory of Kejriwal’s Aam Admi Party has stunned pundits and pollsters alike, and only showed how much Delhi loves the greenhorn politician, decried by his opponents as ‘muffler man,’ and his connect with the masses and classes of this city state of around 25 million people.
Kejriwal is, however, not the kind to let success go to his head. A day after the results of the Delhi polls were declared, the APP said that the party would invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP’s chief ministerial candidate Kiran Bedi and other union ministers for the swearing-in ceremony. The induction of Kejriwal, a rights activist-turned-politician, will take place at Ramlila Maidan, the sprawling public square which was the epicenter of mass anti-corruption protests in 2011, pitchforking Kejriwal into the national limelight.

Arvind Kejriwal conquers Delhi, makes history

February 10, 2015February 11, 2015 - by India Writes Network

In a resounding triumph of new politics, Arvind Kejriwal, an activist-turned-politician, has made history, and has conquered Delhi, with a vengeance. In a virtual sweep of the broom, Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (at 11 am IST) is now leading in 62 of Delhi’s 70 seats.

The results of the Delhi assembly elections are expected to be declared later in the day.

The Delhi verdict is a major blow to Prime Minister Narendra Modi who had converted the Delhi elections into a personality-style contest between him and Mr Kejriwal.

Kejriwal has created history in more ways than one: this is the first time Delhi will get a non-Congress, non-BJP government, with an outsider to the political system set to be anointed the chief minister of Delhi. This is also the first time a party will get more than 60 seats in the Delhi assembly.

Do parties care to make Delhi a ‘liveable’ global city?

February 9, 2015February 9, 2015 - by India Writes Network

At last, the three-week noisy and high voltage campaign marked by a slew of accusations, name callings and mud throwing is over. With the official closure of the campaign on …

Who will win Delhi? Modi stability mantra versus Kejriwal’s new politics

February 7, 2015February 7, 2015 - by India Writes Network

All eyes are on the electrifying electoral battle for Delhi, and which way it will swing. On a sunny Saturday morning, Delhites queued up outside polling booths spread across the city of around 25 million people. There was a palpable sense of enthusiasm among voters, who were unanimous in their craving for a smart city, equipped with world-class infrastructure and higher standard of living.
By 3 pm, 51.15 per cent of 13 million voters had cast their ballots. Chief Election Commissioner H.S Brahma said he expected a 65-70 per cent voter turnout on February 7. 66 per cent had voted in the 2013 assembly elections. If opinion polls are to be believed, a few thousand votes may make a decisive difference.
The key issues in the Delhi polls are, according to the voters spoke by India Writes Network, indiawrites.org, access to uninterrupted electricity, decent health care, modern education, controlling inflation, encouraging sanitation drive and building infrastructure, strengthening women security, and increasing employment rate and raising living standard.
It would be fair to say that the Delhi elections have become a matter of prestige for Narendra Modi and Arvind Kejriwal. Delhi is the power centre of the country. A win or loss in Delhi for the BJP could strip Mr Modi of some of the halo of invincibility as his party has won most state elections and done exceedingly well in states like Jammu and Kashmir, where it had hitherto no presence.