FOCUS-APRIL 2022

AAP as opposition Mascot! The ‘Grand Finale in 2024’ as some media men preferred to put it, the national Loksabha Election due in May 2024, has come into early focus, with the result of the five states that went into hustings during February/March 2022. The results have been largely on expected lines, with UP being firmly and solidly behind BJP and other 3 states too have toed the line to be in the BJP camp. However what is dramatic is the emergence of AAP, running away with almost 4/5th of the share of seats at 92 out of 117 in the election to Punjab assembly. That’s a huge stamp of approval. Suddenly, the so-called regional party of Delhi now has two states under its belt, the only non-BJP party, besides Congress to have government in more than one state. In Punjab AAP nearly demolished the previous government of Congress. DMK is only in Tamil Nadu, TRS or Telengana Rashtra Samithi is only in Telangana, TMC only in West Bengal, JD(U) only in Bihar, JD(S) only in Karnataka, NCP only in Maharashtra. In the opposition conclave, in their anxiety to form alliance opposed to BJP, they have never considered AAP in the past. Now there cannot be opposition alliance without AAP. That’s the fundamental take-away from election 2022. Hitherto, Mamata Banerjee of TMC had hogged the limelight at the expense of Congress. But now Kejriwal of AAP has snatched the limelight. Mamata Banerjee, tom-tomed as possible king maker in Goa, drew blank. In Goa AAP won two seats. Besides, AAP always had MLAs in Punjab. In the last assembly-2017/21, AAP had 20 MLAs. Clearly, post this election to Punjab and Goa, ‘Kejriwal will be the strongest and the biggest opposition leader in the country’ said Robin Roy an independent Journalist from Mumbai. Emergence of Kejriwal as the formidable opposition leader with 2 governments under his AAP belt and with 2 MLAs in Goa, has lent an interesting dimension to the opposition conclave with Mamata ruling the roost. How will she take Kejriwal being in the opposition camp against BJP! Would she play second fiddle to Kejriwal! That’s an interesting development. However when all is said and done, Punjab being a full-fledged state so also being a border state with Pakistan, its governance is not likely to be easy as Delhi which according to The Hindu editorial is a Municipality. The Hindu editorial of 12/3/2022 says, “It is one thing to succeed in governance in what is largely a Municipality by eschewing ideological perspectives and focusing on just populist measures. It will be a challenge to affect this in an important border state such as Punjab. AAP has its task cutout?” AAP has won Punjab with its promise of clean governance and populist measure on health and education besides freebies. No doubt any clean party without corruption should be elected, to govern, but what about the actual delivery of services it has been elected to provide? There is this news in circulation in the social media, which also include a video of the Delhi assembly proceedings which informs about things that have gone haywire. The news informs that the Deputy CM, Sisodia of Delhi has written letter stating ‘government do not have funds to pay salaries to teaching and non teaching staff of Delhi government funded college. So increase fees and use welfare funds’. In the National Performance Grading Index Delhi schools stand at No.32. Score of Delhi is 124 in the learning outcome as compared to UP which got 132 marks. So the claim of model schooling in Delhi is largely evaporated. 745 schools in Delhi are without principals. 418 without vice principals, shortage of 24000 teachers in New Delhi. 2200 guest teachers haven’t been made permanent and their salaries not increased since 2019. 700 schools in Delhi do not teach science. Vocational trainers (VT) get half the salary at 16000/- of what VTs get in Haryana & UP. No increase for VTs since 2019. Independent source has confirmed the above charges of Leader of opposition in Delhi to be true. So what could happen to the promises made for Punjab electorates with literally empty coffers greeting the new government in Punjab! Only one of Kejriwal’s promise of Rs. 1000/- per month to all women of Punjab could cost the exchequer Rs. 18,000 crores per year (1.5 crore women at Rs. 1000/- per month for 12 months). The new CM of Punjab has already called on PM, asking for financial handouts. Thus the question is HOW LONG FREEBIES CAN SUBSTITUTE FOR EFFECTIVE GOVERNANCE!