Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'Arvind Kejriwal makes an epic comeback' that was published in Newsband

Arvind Kejriwal makes an epic comeback

Leader of the Aam Aadmi Party, or Common Man's Party, Arvind Kejriwal is in full form.  His anti-corruption party won a stunning victory in the Delhi state elections. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) won 67 of the 70 assembly seats.

Kejriwal’s career had seemed doomed a year ago when he quit as Delhi's chief minister over a crucial anti-corruption bill. It is the Bharatiya Janata Party's first setback since it triumphed in the 2014 general election. For Modi and the BJP, this defeat marks the end of the honeymoon period and they are stripped of their aura of invincibility.

Final results gave Mr Modi's BJP just three seats. India's main opposition Congress party failed to win a single constituency. Kejriwal rightly says that the huge mandate is "very scary and we should live up to people's expectations".

The BJP's campaign was essentially anti-AAP and the party leaders often criticised Kejriwal at their rallies and road shows. Kejriwal, meanwhile, conducted an energetic campaign which proved popular with working class and underprivileged voters who make up 60% of Delhi's population. The BJP had fielded former policewoman Kiran Bedi as its candidate for chief minister.

AAP’s victory will be a reinforcement of the common man's choices. If people feel 2014 was the year of the Modi wave, this will be the year of an AAP sweep. Kejriwal win  is a victory for common man.

Bedi and Kejriwal had worked together as anti-corruption campaigners, but the two have since developed an intense rivalry. During weeks of hectic campaigning, both candidates promised to bring in good governance, end corruption and make Delhi safe for women. In December 2013, the BJP had won most seats but fell short of an overall majority in Delhi, leaving the AAP - which came second - to form a coalition with Congress. But Kejriwal resigned after 49 days in office, when opposition politicians blocked a bill that would have created an independent body with the power to investigate politicians and civil servants suspected of corruption.

Elections to the Delhi Assembly have always attracted disproportionate national-level attention. The central figure in the Delhi campaign was undoubtedly AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, who transformed a loosely knit anti-corruption movement that had social activist Anna Hazare as its mascot, into a thriving political movement and party. Today it appears to be a credible challenger to the Modi juggernaut.

The AAP should seek to expand outside Delhi, but at the very least it will stand out as a model where an unconventional leader with some credibility galvanised public opinion for change. A novice, but determined Arvind Kejriwal seems to have kept up his head high, fighting hard, against the onslaught of a combination of a strong Modi, his entire cabinet and almost the entire BJP Parliamentarians (supported by a powerful RSS cadre).

The Delhi BJP was so weak that it had to import a person for CM position from outside. This is not a master stroke as claimed. The original position Modi vs Kejrival still stands. Kejrival should learn to abandon his moves like resigning within 49 days which has cost him a lot. Governance, not showbazi is the key to success. Kejrival has to guard this principle in future. Anyway, Congrats, Kejriwal!