Aam Aadmi leader OSCAR REBELLO takes a close look at why AAP failed to make its electoral mark and outlines what the party needs to do to get back in the reckoning.
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By Oscar Rebello
In 2014 ,something stirred and like James Bond shaken with some mysterious conviction, many of us (yours truly included) latched on to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) bandwagon and believed rather naively that we were going to change the world (ours is called Goa) and usher in an era of clean politics.
First pit stop at the time was the 2014 parliamentary poll. The simplistic, almost Mr Bean logic was that, the Congress honchos and their greedy grubby politics had pushed our beloved Goa, down the belly of a killer whale
The wise people of Goa, having punished the reckless Congress bandidos, reposed their faith in the BJP (in particular a certain Mr Parrikar, lord and Master). He was to ‘defend’ our rights. He was to ‘defend’ our environment. He was to ‘defend our culture. He was to ‘defend’ our Goa. Of course, he only ended ‘defending’ himself in a spectacular fashion and our dreams were stabbed in the back.
So the rational thinking was that if on the Goa issues, the Congress drove us into the ditch, the BJP helped keep us in that ditch, then maybe just maybe, a new political force based on honesty, transparency and sincere intentions would be what the doctor ordered.
Dattaram Desai and Swati Kerkar, two down-to-earth activists with impeccable integrity offered to go into battle with a few coins of silver. Some rickety body armour and passionate conviction in their hearts.
Despite the compelling logic that Goa needed a change and after running an honest to goodness campaign we were beaten black and blue by the good people of Goa, notching up an unflattering vote share.
Why? Here my 10 reasons why AAP candidates had to bite the dust.
1. AAP is an idea that a critical mass of people have to buy into, an idea that people own democracy and that democracy isn't the fiefdom of lobbies.
2. Lobbies are always engaging and scratching the government all five years. People vote once in five years and they are done. This is a disadvantage for AAP.
3) AAP could not hold the perception battle in 2014. Modi was overwhelming. Even if BJP were to field say Mickey Pacheco, he'd win.
4. The mining belt belted the pants off us because we had no economic plan for them only moral science lectures. Those lectures don't put food on the table.
5. We naively believed that our press-generated ego-massaged images would carry the day. The number of votes we got showed that even hard core activists voted for the Congress but didn't trust us.
6. We thought money wasn't important. Big mistake.
7. Ultra moral posturing gets you on the right side of St Peter (who himself had moral failings) but does not get you votes.
8. Hindu hardcore saw us as an appendage of the church. The Christao hardcore saw us as an appendage of the RSS.
9. We could not formulate a grand economic plan for Goa. Man doesn't live by mangroves alone.
10. We didn't get Hema to sing for us. On second thoughts we may have got 50 per cent less votes by that strategy.
Having given you the 10 commandments let me say this: The zeal passion and commitment of our volunteer kids, who are fanning to all corners of Goa and connecting to people is extraordinary. These volunteers on their own dime and unflinching commitment are moving door to door and corner to corner, galvanizing support to the cause and idea.. It would be great if the people of Goa lent them their ears, their minds and importantly welcome them into their hearts.
This build-up of cadre will pay handsome dividends later. For the present, Congress Rome (or at least Orbassano) was built in a day. For the BJP Ayodhya (and certainly Gujarat) was built in a day. For AAP it may take a while longer but a sensible, compassionate and just India will be built someday.
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"We didn't get Hema to sing for us. On second thoughts we may have got 50 per cent less votes by that strategy"
