A Verdict Against the Mismatch in Words and Deeds

It's clear that now Aam Aadmi Party will face an existential struggle

- Shashi Shekhar

In 2013, Arvind Kejriwal had come to the Dainik Hindustan office and told a senior colleague that the newspaper's coverage of the Lokpal Movement, which was of "critical importance", was lukewarm. He expressed a desire to interact with our editorial staff and hold elaborate consultations on Lokpal, corruption, and the right to information. Those were the days in Kejriwal's public journey when he was an activist. He has come a long way since.

His party won Delhi assembly elections thrice and formed the government in Punjab. At the last assembly elections in Gujarat, though AAP was able to win just five seats, it managed to get the tag of a national party by cornering close to 13% of votes.

Against this backdrop, AAP's defeat in Delhi gives rise to interpretations. Kejriwal's volte-face has stuck to him like ugly stains. He had promised he wouldn't encumber himself by accepting mandatory security cover, or other VIP trappings. However, his supporters saw him do the exact opposite.