Dubai: Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is fast gaining a fan following among Indian expatriates in the UAE, thanks to its social media campaigns and novel ideas of governance.
Kejriwal, an income tax officer turned social activist, has risen from obscurity to become chief minister of Delhi. His promise of “parivartan” (change) is resonating with the Indian diaspora, with many expatriates registering as party members. By fulfilling three of his poll promises within days of taking office, Kejriwal, a Ramon Magsaysay Award winner, has sent a clear message to India’s political bigwigs: The status quo can and will be changed.
Dubai resident Kiran Joshi, an IT professional from Mumbai, used to be a supporter of the Bharatiya Janata Party, but has recently switched his loyalty to the AAP. “Next month, I will be in Mumbai to attend a family wedding. I plan to register as an AAP member. It is a party that speaks my language. They talk of things that I believe should be wiped out from Indian politics. The biggest problem that India faces today is corruption. I am ashamed of some of our uneducated politicians. They are so retarded. The AAP is here to bring a change,” he said.
Abu Dhabi-based Sandesh Pathania, an aircraft engineer with Etihad, feels that AAP is a welcome change from the corrupt polity. “I am fed up with the rest of the political parties. Kejriwal has so far shown us that if we want to make things better, we can make them better. But yes, I will sound a note of caution on the power subsidy granted to the people in Delhi. We have to wait and watch what effect it will have on the state economy.”
Kejriwal, whose AAP means the common man’s party, defeated incumbent chief minister Sheila Dikshit and ended the Congress party’s 15-year rule in Delhi. The Congress won just eight of the 70 seats in the assembly elections. He immediately got to work on his poll promises and made water and electricity cheaper, decisions that have drawn both bouquets and brickbats.
Vivek Rathore, a businessman from Punjab, India, who is on a visit to the UAE, has been keeping a keen eye on the political scene unfolding in New Delhi. According to him, Kejriwal is a threat to the BJP and their prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi. “Kejriwal has fulfilled his first poll promise less than 48 hours after being sworn in. What does it tell you? He means business, but I would like to see how the AAP fares in rural areas. It has impacted the urban sector. Let’s see how Kejriwal appeals to traders and the middle class,” Rathore said.
Dubai resident Rahul Kharkar, a finance director, feels that Kejriwal will not survive for long as he is a novice in Indian politics.
“He is just a baby compared to the stalwarts in the BJP and the Congress. It will take the AAP another 5-6 years to catch up with the rest of the political parties in India,” he said.
While some circles feel the AAP phenomenon has dented BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi’s popularity, some expatriates don’t agree. Dubai resident K.V.Srikumar, a purchase manager, said: “Modi is really strong. You cannot write him off. I will apply a wait-and-watch approach to Kejriwal and the AAP. I want to see how he is going to cover the deficit incurred by the New Delhi government by subsidising water and electricity.”
Delhi-based Vandana Tripati, a visitor to the UAE, is surprised by the interest Kejriwal has evoked among Indians living in the UAE. She believes that Kejriwal and the AAP will bring the much-needed revolution in Indian politics. “He is a strong man and is fearless. He is a man with guts. He does not want any name for himself. All he wants is to lend a voice to the man on the street and fight against corruption,” she said.
