New Delhi: One of the words that Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) president and CM-elect of the national capital, Arvind Kejriwal, used most often in his victory speech was ‘country’.
By voting in overwhelming numbers in favour of AAP, Delhi voters, Kejriwal said, had taken the country towards a new brand of politics, as he invoked 'Bharat Mata', 'Hanuman' and 'Inquilab Zindabad'.
“This is the victory of the people of Delhi... For accepting me as their son... The people of Delhi have begotten a new kind of politics in the country ‘Kaam ki raajneeti’ (the politics of work),” Kejriwal said while addressing the media and party workers from his party office for the first time after results were declared.
“AAP’s victory was a lucky charm for the country. People have signalled that they will vote only for the party that will provide better schools, hospitals, cheaper power, water and roads in their colonies. It is a great signal, it is a very lucky signal for the nation. This is the kind of politics that can take us into the 21st Century,” said Kejriwal, adding the victory of AAP was the victory of the entire country.
In many ways, AAP equated the crushing blow that it landed on its chief political adversary the BJP, as an example that could be emulated on a national level.
Defeating the Narendra Modi-led BJP, Kejriwal seemed to suggest, couldn’t be done without AAP. Hence, after its party’s success on Tuesday, the AAP supremo made his national ambitions quite clear.
On Tuesday, AAP’s party headquarters sported a large hoarding with the message: “Associate with AAP for nation building.” As part of a massive membership drive, AAP’s social media handles also put out posts which read: “Join the revolution, join AAP.”
The move is similar to the party’s strategy before the 2014 general elections. In a bid to catapult itself onto the national political stage, AAP had launched a country-wide drive in January 2014 to enroll one crore members.
In the rest of his speech, Kejriwal said AAP's victory was a victory for those who benefitted from better schools and hospitals.
Reminding his audience that today being Tuesday was the day of Lord Hanuman, referring to his much-talked-about Hanuman Chalisa recital, around which BJP leaders had tried to build a controversy.
“I would like to thank him also for blessing us. We would like to ask him to give us the same power that allowed us to work for the last five years, for the coming five years as well,” Kejriwal said.
The man who will soon swear in as the chief minister of Delhi for the third time, equaling Congress leader Sheila Dikshit’s record, having secured an overwhelming majority (63 as per latest trends), rounded off his speech with informing the audience that today was also his wife's birthday.
His wife, Sunita Kejriwal, waved to the crowds who cheered for her. "I've had the cake....you'll have it too," he said smiling at his party workers.
Bettering a lot of post-poll predictions, AAP is so far looking good on 63 seats, just short of the 67-mark that the party hit in the 2015 elections.
Countering the BJP's aggressive, communal campaign, AAP reached out to its voters with its track-record of improving hospitals, schools, roads, and seems to have impressed voters with its water and power subsidy schemes.
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