Nation
Here comes the Aam Aadmi
Arvind Kejriwal has the knack of simplifying complex issues and has managed to project the problems that affect the common man. He has succeeded in harnessing the angst of the youth
Vibha Sharma

THE new-age politician Arvind Kejriwal is armed with an ability to make that all-important connect with the aam aadmi (a pre-requisite for any leader), he may not be your regular conventional orator but his rhetoric manages to hold attention. In just about a year and a half he managed to transcend from being an aam aadmi to a khaas aadmi.

Kejriwal's knack for oversimplifying complicated issues, even those pertaining to complex dealings of business tycoon Mukesh Ambani, leave many doubtful about veracity of his claims. But it is his this aptitude which is leading impressionable young minds to abandon apathy and become a part of his cause. However, his individual rapport with the aam aadmi, which is his USP, is also turning out to be a problem for his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

AAP appears to be a one-man show, at least so far. Whether it is ace lawyer Prashant Bhushan, noted psephologist Yogendra Yadav, Kejriwal's long-time aide Manish Sisodia or popular poet Kumar Vishwas, the X-factor that makes Kejriwal tick with the aam aadmi seems missing in others.

His success has managed to rattle not just political enemies but also former mentor Anna Hazare. Anna's changing stance vis-`E0-vis Kejriwal perhaps shows his own dilemma in the fast-changing scenario with which the aging anti-corruption crusader is neither familiar with nor has the ability to keep pace with.

The widening rift between Anna and Kejriwal is what other political parties are viewing with glee. AAP is a political formation that is emerging from the middle class, till now ignored by parties hunting for corporate funding and vote bank for political gains.

His campaign is directed at symbols of power, the red beacon, the family rule the sycophancy, all that marks the political establishment.

Kejriwal may have led aam aadmi to introspect, but he may just end up dividing votes in favour of an undeserving candidate. Political analysts believe that the group only has few months in hand to make some sort of an impact in Delhi Assembly and survive beyond 2014 otherwise it could be curtains for the fledgling party.

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