CAPITAL CONQUEST

In 213 the Delhi electorate surprised everyone and voted the newly formed Aam Aadmi Party led by ex-bureaucrat and social activist Arvind Kejriwal into 28 seats out of 7. But following Kejriwal’s resignation from the post of Delhi’s chief minister just 49 days after he was sworn in the AAP was dismissed as inexperienced unorganized and incapable of delivering on its promise. And after its dismal performance in the 214 General Elections no one not even the media which had built up Kejriwal and the AAP in its early days believed it had a second chance. Until February 215. In winning 67 out of 7 seats in the 215 Delhi assembly elections the AAP and Kejriwal demonstrated how a party that has radically challenged the norms of Indian politics can bounce back from defeat trouncing all other contenders – including Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party. The AAP campaign ticked all the right boxes with the promise of populism and a city-wide network of activists blurred the lines between volunteerism and political activism. In deliberately muting its attacks on the opposition while concentrating instead on the issues that mattered to the people the once-written-off party rewrote the rules of the game. In Capital Conquest political journalist and commentator Saba Naqvi who has closely followed the party since its inception details the AAP’s ingenious election campaign outlining the crucial factors that allowed it to win the favour of Delhi’s voters.