Lack of ideology responsible for AAP implosion

This turmoil within the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is not around ideological and political issues. This struggle for power is just limited to the personal ambitions of a motley group of ‘do-gooder, anti-corruption reformists’ who want to capture power within the party.

This turmoil within the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is not around ideological and political issues. This struggle for power is just limited to the personal ambitions of a motley group of ‘do-gooder, anti-corruption reformists’ who want to capture power within the party. A section of party leaders say that inner-party democracy and transparency, which were the foundational guiding principles for internal decision-making, have been flouted and their efforts to restore them have set a model of behaviour.

The central issue that concerns the public of Delhi is not who is able to occupy the seat of authority to guide and control AAP. The Indian public, both in Delhi and outside, is keen to know the real ideological worldview of this party and its founding leaders on crucial national issues raised by the Sangh parivar. Does AAP consider the spread of the ideology of Hindu rashtravad the main challenge to a plural, diverse, and secular India? Is there public evidence to suggest that the leadership of AAP firmly stands up to the challenge of the Hindu rashtravadis?

A few facts may be mentioned to substantiate the argument that AAP has neither intellectually nor politico-ideologically taken up firm positions against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Narendra Modi-led central government. First, the anti-corruption movement of Anna Hazare brought together all strands of conflicting and contradictory ideologies in the same tabernacle. Personalities of the BJP and the RSS were visible on the public platform of Hazare. Second, the AAP leadership has repeatedly asserted in public that they do not believe in ideological positions of the Left or the Right and the implication of such a posturing is that the party’s problems and policies are guided in a pragmatic manner. This party of ‘pragmatists’ was not at all shocked when Shazia Ilmi or Kiran Bedi walked over to the BJP because Hazare and the AAP leadership have shown that the Hindu rashtravadi BJP is not distinguishable from the non-ideological AAP leadership.

Third, it has been of no concern to AAP that the BJP’s social base remains intact and Delhi politics, irrespective of the 2015 elections, remains solidly behind the Hindutwavadis. The secular vote shifted from the Congress to AAP because the Congress has not been perceived to be a winning party.

Should there be a split in AAP, it will not have any great consequence for society at large.

CP Bhambhri taught politics at JNU

The views expressed by the author are personal