In an interaction with Siddheshwar Shukla, he touches upon diverse issues. Excerpts:
Why do you think, the AAP will get more seats in this election in comparison to 2013 Assembly polls?
In the 2013 polls, we were a completely unknown force so were not considered politically viable by many. In this election, we have emerged as a strong political force. In the surveys in 2013, over 60 per cent people wanted to vote for the AAP but actually we got only 29.49 per cent votes. It means that there was a huge difference between our potential voters and actual voters.
But you lost all the seven seats in the Lok Sabha?
It was a national election but now it is an assembly election. During the Lok Sabha polls, people were not happy with the resignation of Arvind Kejriwal from the post of Chief Minister of Delhi . In the assembly elections, local issues and leadership are crucial. Furthermore, the AAP is all set to make inroads into the Congress domain and clinch their share of votes. The disgruntled BJP voters are also shifting towards the AAP due to infighting and neglect of their loyal workers.
Several AAP leaders and core committee members have left the party alleging autocracy and absence of democracy within the party. Don’t you think the AAP is weakened this time?
Only Shazia Ilmi was in the core committee. We regret her leaving the AAP. We also had regretted her joining the BJP as she had secular credentials. We have also inducted several leaders but you people always tend to focus on only those who have left us.
In 2013, the AAP had a selection process for candidates. It seems you have relaxed some criterion and given preference to winnability factor of the candidate?
We are contesting to win the election and not just to show our presence. There are two basic criteria — Swaraj and winnability. The latter has to be the prime criterion. There may be discussions on which was given more importance as we are an evolving political force.
Isn’t it true that Prashant Bhushan has complained against some candidates but they were not removed?
We are the only party to have an internal Lokpal and presently Admiral (retd) Ramdas is our internal Lokpal. We have a complain committee which refers all such complains to our Lokpal. His decision is final. He had recommended us to remove two candidates at the 11th hour and we did follow his suggestion.
In 2013 Assembly polls, Lokpal and corruption were your slogans but in this election ‘five year Kejriwal’ is your main slogan. Have you not changed from ideology-centric party to an individual based party?
In media-tised democracy we need a face to project. We can’t side step ‘face value’ and stick to ideology only. We will have to evolve to find a way to balance these two aspects.
AAP started criticising Kiran Bedi only after she joined the BJP. How has she become a villain overnight?
All the facts were already in the air. We are not questioning her personal life. We are just asking her to clarify if the BJP had addressed all her concerns regarding funding? She must have to come clean as she is aspiring to become the Chief Minister of Delhi.
Why aren’t you contesting the Delhi assembly polls as several Delhi assembly segments border Gurgaon and Haryana from where you belong?
I have my voter identity card in Haryana which is my ‘karambhumi.’ I am not interested in coming to Delhi. It was my party’s stand not to contest elections but to focus on Delhi assembly elections so we did not contest in the Haryana assembly polls.
Why do you think, the AAP will get more seats in this election in comparison to 2013 Assembly polls?
In the 2013 polls, we were a completely unknown force so were not considered politically viable by many. In this election, we have emerged as a strong political force. In the surveys in 2013, over 60 per cent people wanted to vote for the AAP but actually we got only 29.49 per cent votes. It means that there was a huge difference between our potential voters and actual voters.
But you lost all the seven seats in the Lok Sabha?
It was a national election but now it is an assembly election. During the Lok Sabha polls, people were not happy with the resignation of Arvind Kejriwal from the post of Chief Minister of Delhi . In the assembly elections, local issues and leadership are crucial. Furthermore, the AAP is all set to make inroads into the Congress domain and clinch their share of votes. The disgruntled BJP voters are also shifting towards the AAP due to infighting and neglect of their loyal workers.
Several AAP leaders and core committee members have left the party alleging autocracy and absence of democracy within the party. Don’t you think the AAP is weakened this time?
Only Shazia Ilmi was in the core committee. We regret her leaving the AAP. We also had regretted her joining the BJP as she had secular credentials. We have also inducted several leaders but you people always tend to focus on only those who have left us.
In 2013, the AAP had a selection process for candidates. It seems you have relaxed some criterion and given preference to winnability factor of the candidate?
We are contesting to win the election and not just to show our presence. There are two basic criteria — Swaraj and winnability. The latter has to be the prime criterion. There may be discussions on which was given more importance as we are an evolving political force.
Isn’t it true that Prashant Bhushan has complained against some candidates but they were not removed?
We are the only party to have an internal Lokpal and presently Admiral (retd) Ramdas is our internal Lokpal. We have a complain committee which refers all such complains to our Lokpal. His decision is final. He had recommended us to remove two candidates at the 11th hour and we did follow his suggestion.
In 2013 Assembly polls, Lokpal and corruption were your slogans but in this election ‘five year Kejriwal’ is your main slogan. Have you not changed from ideology-centric party to an individual based party?
In media-tised democracy we need a face to project. We can’t side step ‘face value’ and stick to ideology only. We will have to evolve to find a way to balance these two aspects.
AAP started criticising Kiran Bedi only after she joined the BJP. How has she become a villain overnight?
All the facts were already in the air. We are not questioning her personal life. We are just asking her to clarify if the BJP had addressed all her concerns regarding funding? She must have to come clean as she is aspiring to become the Chief Minister of Delhi.
Why aren’t you contesting the Delhi assembly polls as several Delhi assembly segments border Gurgaon and Haryana from where you belong?
I have my voter identity card in Haryana which is my ‘karambhumi.’ I am not interested in coming to Delhi. It was my party’s stand not to contest elections but to focus on Delhi assembly elections so we did not contest in the Haryana assembly polls.