Punjab Elections, 2022 – Dance of Democracy

 

Punjab Elections, 2022 – Dance of Democracy     

The political slugfest ended on March 10 with the declaration of results in five state elections. BJP has come back in four states, particularly UP, with convincing victory but could not make any mark in Punjab. The Dance of Democracy has thrown some new

benchmarks for the democratic polity of India after 7 decades of independence and enforcement of the constitution. ‘We the people of India’, it seems, have become mature over the years and have certainly learnt a step or two in the Dance of Democracy. So far so good.

I have been writing on the Punjab elections off and on and I will focus my observations on Punjab alone in spite of the fact that BJP has re-registered their expertise on the art of electioneering in selling their agenda, a much needed trait for a political party in a democratic set-up. Hats off to the leadership of BJP under the stewardship of PM Narendra Modi and the party managers and machinery. On the other hand in Punjab, AAP, a new political entity under the leadership of CM of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal, has turned the tables in Punjab with a clean sweep by bagging 92 seats out of the total of 117 like they did in Delhi a few years ago. The traditional parties like the Congress Party and SAD trailed behind AAP like non-entities. BJP, BSP, newly floated outfit of Captain Amrinder Singh, PLC and SSP of the Kisans were almost decimated by the pronounced “Inqilab in Punjab” both by Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Singh, the CM face of APP. It is no exaggeration; indeed, it is a complete departure from the hitherto political scene. AAP has demonstrated its prowess in changing the game plan at the hustings. Arvind Kejriwal is all set to present his claim to lead the united opposition, if they could unite at all, in 2024 against the might of the ruling BJP under the grip of PM Narendra Modi. Anyway, we still have time in the run up to 2024.

Let us come back to Punjab. When Mayawati of BSP became the CM of UP in 1995 for the first time, then PM Narsimha Rao termed it as a ‘Miracle of Democracy’. I think AAP’s storming into the corridors of power in Chandigarh is yet another miracle of democracy, a silent and benevolent revolution. It is the handiwork, to my mind, of only two men who led the AAP from the front, Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann – as Veni, Vidi, Vici as in the famous quote of Julius Caesar. The exit polls this time could see and visualize the forthcoming scenario on the eve of counting of votes on March 10. The traditional parties and many of the political pundits could not read the pulse of people. Most of them, including me, were expecting

a hung assembly. But AAP came with an élan as a party with a difference with the much talked about Delhi Model. The big-wigs of all parties, including the sitting CM, former CMs, almost all the sitting Cabinet Ministers, over assessed self appointed bosses like Navjot Sidhu were shown the door. AAP could sell their catch-word ‘Government of the Aam Party’ and ‘Real Vs Fake’ Aam Adami. Deras and the Dalit Card and also pseudo-Nationalism could not make much dent and stop the victory Rath of AAP. AAP arrived in 2017 with 20 seats as the second largest party and Leader of the Opposition and finally reached in 2022 with a landslide victory with 92 seats – a real wonder of democracy.

AAP’s clear victory and near decimation of all political outfits in the 2022 elections has brought in a new paradigm, good or bad, time will tell. The political analysts are doing their job to explain the matter for the benefit of the common citizens. The jinx of ‘you scratch my back and I will scratch yours’ between the two traditional and old parties, the Congress and the SAD, has been broken. I think it is a good development. The obvious heritance or patent rights of Sikh votes by the SAD and Hindu votes by the BJP has been nullified. It is good for the social fabric of the society. The so called dalit card could not do much. It is obvious from the results and clear defeat of the dalit CM from two of the constituencies and almost decimation of the so called dalit party, BSP. AAP emerged and justified its existence as an all embracing party of all who intended to bring ‘Badlab’, a much needed change in our political and social culture as enshrined and visualized in our constitution. It is a good development in our polity and society with multi-cultural and multi-racial background.

The dalit question remains and baffles many as they have an over-all share of more than 33% in the population of Punjab with 34 reserved seats. AAP has won 29 out of 34 by their own right. In the Doaba region, dalits account for more than 40% share in the demography with 23 seats. AAP got the larger share of 10 seats followed by Congress Party with 9 and the rest 4 by others in Doaba. These details raise many questions which would need to be addressed – Are dalits not sectraians as the voting pattern in at least two successive elections indicated? They did not, it seems, succumb to the dalit card and expressed their will and choice – Did Deras and similar quarters play any meaningful role in setting the vote dictates? I don’t think so. People have not, it seems, cared much? Does the emerged situation justify the vision of our founding fathers particularly Babasaheb Ambedkar justify what they visualized? I was listening to one of the video clips of one of my retired IAS friend, Tilak Sarangal , on the situation. He was of the view that it was what Babbasaheb wished that sectarian considerations should not have any place in democracy and power lies with the people. Sarangal Sahib quoted Ambedkar that with the introduction of ‘one vote one value’ the kings (rules) would be born not from the wombs of queens or princesses but from the ballot boxes (now EVMs). But my question in this regard is how do we ensure and justify dalits, socially marginalized segments of the society; get their due share in the corridors of power as visualized by Babasaheb Ambedkar? It suits the main stream of the society if dalits don’t unite and do not vote for the candidates of their choice who would ask for their due share in the power structures. In long 75 years of independence and despite the empowering provisions in the constitution, it seems, the main stream of the society is not still ready to concede due space to dalits. Some dalit leaders and activists argue that the caste Hindus and Sikhs did not vote for the Congress Party because of the dalit CM face of Channi. How AAP, the new ruling dispensation, would address some of these issues and perceptions with 29 seats from reserved category in the total of 34 remains to be seen? Dalits would also be required to sit and brain-storm some of these vital questions, if they really want their due space in the polity and society or would they keep sitting on the fringes as always? I leave this at this.

All said and done, allow me to come back to AAP and my small connect with them since 2016-17 which I maintain till now formally or otherwise. My introductory observations in the Chapter -2 “My short lived tryst with politics” of my book “The Bits and Pieces – Reminiscences and Reflections of a novice” may explain why I took leave from the active and electoral politics and I quote, “Keeping with my thinking and mindset, I never considered myself fit for electoral politics. Nevertheless, one day on February 22, 2016, I joined the bandwagon of Aam Aadmi Party with an overwhelming emotion of ‘paying back my debt of gratitude’ to the society at the last quarter of my life. While I reluctantly defended my decision, my wife Vidya and my children were not too happy. For the good or bad, I don’t know, this short lived tryst ended in a whisper. These blog on the subject would give you some insight in the venture or misadventure. Now I think, perhaps, it was a bad dream which I should try to forget” I have had no policy or ideological differences with AAP and its supreme leader Arvind Kejriwal. I wrote many open letters to AAP and its leaders and volunteers in 2016-17 to share my thoughts for the larger good of people which are available in my above said book and again I quote  the concluding  para of my last letter dated March 21, 2017 to conclude this piece, “I may conclude this long letter with the hope that the AAP leadership spares some time to read these observations of an Aam Aadmi unlike the fate of my earlier attempts to awaken ourselves to the emerging situation and to face the challenges of the future. Let us not give way to the blame game. If I go by the media reports of today, March 21, the swords are already drawn. We need to have a sincere and in-depth introspection to set the matter right. I am happy to note that Arvind Kejriwal has undertaken the exercise of damage control by writing a circular letter to the rank and file of the party of which I also got a copy on my email ID. I quote from the letter of Arvind Kejriwal: “The question we should ask ourselves is whether the current political system is fine? Have rampant corruption and crony capitalism disappeared? Is there justice for all? Are the common people getting what they deserve? If the answer is ‘No’, we have to continue and strengthen our political revolution.”  Arvind Kejriwal has proved himself by setting the ball in motion in Punjab registering a convincing victory which is no less than a revolution – we need to wait and see the Dance of Democracy in the coming years. With this I wish the APP under Arvind Kejriwal, CM Bhagwant Mann all the best and further success in the days to come. It is just a coincident that I started my humble career in IFS on March 16, 1970 by joining the MEA and CM Bhagwant Mann and his government is taking oath of office on March 16, 2022 at the historic village of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Khatkar Kalan. The date March 16 would make a prominent milestone in the journey of Punjab when an Aam Adami took the reins of power. Let us hope that AAP delivers as expected by the people of Punjab.