New Delhi: The national capital is not new to high-voltage political battles. Being the nervecentre of Indian politics, Delhi records a fair amount of political activities, whether elections are being held in the city or in other parts of the country.
This time the contest is even more interesting with the clash of the titans. Often such power-packed contest is witnessed between old timers in the business of politics. But Delhi Elections 2015 have completely redefined the way the world's largest democracy has witnessed political battles fought between individuals and parties, in the recent past.
AK-49 Vs Crane Bedi
This time the contest for the top post is not between two mature politicians but two bureaucrats-turned-activists-turned-politicos. It is between Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor Arvind Kejriwal, touted as AK-49 vs newcomer Kiran Bedi, and former IPS officer, commonly referred as Crane Bedi, for introducing towaway cranes in Delhi's messy traffic.
Bedi's entry in politics is as old as the announcement of the election schedule. Kejriwal, an Indian Institute of Technology-Kharagpur graduate, is known as the founder of one of India's fastest growing ‘political start-up', AAP. The one-year-old party is giving a tough fight to the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), at a time when the saffron outfit is at its peak in the national arena. Most of the pre-poll surveys are giving an edge to AAP in the assembly election.
The Grand Old Party of India, Congress is a pale shadow of its former self, and is hardly in the reckoning. It appears that the party has already conceded defeat even before the voting began.
Ramon Magsaysay Awardees
Both AK-49 and Crane bedi are also Ramon Magsaysay Awardees. Kejriwal was given the coveted Award for Emergent Leadership, for his involvement with Parivartan, an NGO he formed in the year 2002 to address citizens' grievances related to Public Distribution System (PDS), public works, social welfare schemes, income tax and electricity.
Bedi, the former national Junior Tennis Champion, was given the Magsaysay award in the year 1994 for the reforms she had introduced at Tihar Jail in New Delhi.
Friends turn rivals
Interestingly, both Kejriwal and Bedi, were the popular faces of Anna Hazare's Jan Lokpal campaign which hogged the nation's limelight in the year 2011. Though, friends-turned-political rivals are not new to political arena, they are facing each other for the first time in the feverishly hot contest within less than a year after parting ways.
Unrealistic promises
Often elections in Delhi are fought on national issues. It is for the first time, after many years, the current election is being contested on hyper-local issues. Parties have issued posters to compare the prices of cauliflower.
None of the party is lagging behind in going overboard and promising something which seems unrealistic at the ground level. Electricity is almost offered three times lower than the actual cost of production. Everyone has promised to improve law and order despite police being under the wings of central government. It is also doubtful how they will improve urban infrastructure when land is not under the control of Delhi government.It is looked after by the DDA and Urban Development Ministry at the Centre.
Emergent of Social economic, and migrants group
India, in general, votes along caste lines. Political parties, cutting across party lines, never miss a chance to identify themselves with a caste or community. But Delhi elections have redefined the way political parties view their “vote banks”.
Auto drivers and e-rickshaw owners have emerged as a strong group in the recent past. All political parties are going overboard to address their causes and concerns. Traders are another voter group.
People from UP and Bihar called “Puravanchalis” and they constitute a major share of the electoral pie. So are the people from the Northeast.
The biggest battle is being bitterly fought for the voteshare of people living at the bottom of the pyramid, who generally come out in large numbers on D-Day to vote.
Both BJP and AAP have promised to change their fortunes. So does the Congress.
Today's vote will decide whom Delhiites will trust for the next 5 years. While the intellectuals discuss the feasibility of populist poll promises, people at the bottom of the pyramid are looking for a trustworthy face who can fulfil the promises.
The fate of the new government will be sealed today. But the actual challenge will begin once the new government assumes office.
