Full statehood or more powers: In war with Jung, what's Arvind Kejriwal really fighting for?

New Delhi: As the tussle between the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government and the Union government refuses to die down, the question doing the rounds in several circles in Delhi is, what is Kejriwal fighting for? If it is about full statehood for the capital, it has not come out clear so far. If it’s about getting more effective administrative powers, it’s not clear either. What is visible so far is a series of skirmishes with no common link to a broader theme. That makes his battle look more like a private one. Experts believe that the ongoing confrontation between the CM and the L-G does is not one for full statehood to Delhi. A few of them argue that the “rhetoric war” is nothing beyond “political posturing”. [caption id=“attachment_2323094” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Najeeb Jung and Arvind Kejriwal.[/caption] “The fight with the Lieutenant Governor or the Centre is not at all a struggle for full statehood because this demand requires sustained popular agitation, dialogue with the Centre and building of political consensus,” Abhay Kumar Dubey political analyst and associate professor at Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS), told Firstpost. Kejriwal has a valid cause to fight for, but somehow things are getting mixed up. “It’s ironical that a chief minister, who clinched victory with a thumping majority, is not being allowed to function independently. A majority of his decisions are overturned by the L-G. And it is not only the complaint of the Kejriwal government; his predecessors (Sahib Singh Verma, Madan Lal Khurana and Sheila Dikshit) had the same grievances,” he said, adding “No doubt, the L-G has many overriding powers, but its ideal that both constitutional authorities work in tandem.” Veteran journalist Ram Kripal Singh said Kejriwal is preparing his defence if he fails to deliver on his promises. He wants to make the confrontation with the Centre an excuse. “By escalating the fight with the Centre, Kejriwal is trying to give out a message that his government wants to work for the betterment of people, but he is not being allowed to serve by the BJP government through the L-G. Playing victim will help him get sympathy of the voters,” he said. Delhi government has limited powers and the activist-turned-politician knows it well. But, Singh feels, Kejriwal wants to act like the chief minister of full-fledged states such as Bihar, UP, Jharkhand, etc. And therefore, he “wants more powers and indirectly demanding full statehood”. “Yes, problems are there in case of Delhi but this is not the way to handle it. In a democracy, an appointed person cannot be superior to an elected person. But the same problem has been faced by other chief ministers as well but they used to find out an amicable solution, which the incumbent government does not want,” Singh added. Former AAP leader and historian Prof Ajit Jha says though the BJP government at the Centre is not giving a fair deal to Delhi, Kejriwal’s behaviour appears “indecent” and “unreasonable”. “Arvind (Kejriwal) is well aware of the fact that the Modi government will not grant statehood to Delhi especially when the two mainstream parties (Congress and the BJP), while they were in power in the Centre, did not oblige their own governments in Delhi. Therefore, he is trying to give people a message that the Centre is not being fair with the AAP government. It appears that he thinks that if he escalates the confrontation, he will get a political advantage,” he told Firstpost. According to Jha, Kejriwal should have used “reasonableness” to handle “unreasonable behaviour of the Centre”. “Accusing and abusing officers is not justified and will make him lose their strength,” he added. He also feels Delhi’s partial statehood is definitely problematic and an elected representative has all the right to raise voice but the way it is being done is nothing but raising a stink. “Neither the Centre is interested in resolving the crisis nor the President is going to intervene in the matter. Ultimately, the court will have to arbitrate. But both parties do not appear to be serious in approaching the court. By keeping the rhetoric war going, the Centre is trying to give a message that Kejriwal is incapable of governing the state and is an anarchist. He wants to convey the message that he wants to work, but his wings have been clipped,” he concluded. JNU Professor Kamal Mitra Chenoy thinks that the BJP wants to “weaken the AAP to avenge its humiliating defeat at the hands of a new party and doing everything to attack it but the AAP has to come out of fighting and adopt a reconciliatory mode”. “This will continue until the Supreme Court lays down a clear cut guideline for demarcation of power. I am not saying that the apex court’s intervention will make things perfectly okay, but it will resolve the conflict to a great extent,” he told Firstpost.