The Aam Aadmi Party has always poised itself as ‘above caste and religious politics'. Their extensive campaign never saw any leader of the party making any appeal for votes on the grounds of caste and community. The result is a trendsetter with the party winning 67 out of 70 seats in the Delhi Assembly.
Such whopping numbers and 54.4% votes could only be gained if all the communities and classes voted for the party. AAP won seats all over the city/state irrespective of population of any caste and community in the constituency.
Just like all voted for Kejriwal, he has tried to balance his cabinet with social engineering, giving representation to all communities.
AAP garnered a huge support from Muslims from all over the capital. The party won 9 out of 10 seats where Muslims counted more than 30% of the votes. A survey by Indian Express says that 77% of the community voted for AAP. The selection of Asim Ahmed Khan as a cabinet minister is a way to give proper representation of Muslims in the cabinet.
He can be criticized that despite being against of social engineering and traditional politics, Kejriwal did what other parties have been doing for long, giving representation to all communities. It can not be said that Kejriwal overlooked the qualifications and abilities of the ministers but social engineering was definitely on his mind.
AAP has a strong support base among social and economic backward class. Kejriwal has always been the advocate of backward class and it has reciprocated with votes.
Sandeep Kumar's inclusion in the cabinet is set to provide the backward class' representation in the cabinet. A lawyer by profession, Sandeep Kumar is the youngest member of the cabinet at 34. He will handle women and child welfare department and SC and ST welfare.
Kejriwal has tried to bring in the upper caste under its fold which has been reluctant to vote the AAP en masse. With Jitender Singh Tomar, Arvind Kejriwal has given an upper caste MLA a place into his cabinet. As AAP is not the favorites of the social or economic upper class, this move could strengthen party's support base among the community.
Delhi chief minister has also selected his ministers on the basis of experience and the ability to perform. Satyenndra Jain's stint as reliable administrator of health department in the last government worked in his favour. He will handle the ministry of Health and Industry.
Arvind Kejriwal's cabinet has two ‘comrades' of erstwhile Anna movement, Manish Sisodia and Gopal Rai. Kejriwal needs a trusted second in command to run the government and Sisodia seems the best choice for the post as he has been with him through thick and thin.
Gopal Rai, another confidante of Kejriwal, was a key member of Jan Lokpal Andolan. He will be needed to pursue Kejriwal's ambitious Lokpal Bill.
By all end and means, Kejriwal's government could be called a balanced one, which boasts of representation of all class, experience, youth and commitment as acknowledged by the CM himself during the oath-taking ceremony at the Ramlila Maidan today.
