Kejriwal vs BJP's Mukhi: When there's no giant to take on, create one

New Delhi: Enthused by the announcement of fresh elections to the Delhi assembly, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo Arvind Kejriwal has declared that the battle is now going to be between him and BJP’s Jagdish Mukhi. Kejriwal, as is well- known, had been clamouring for fresh elections for long. But the moment the state BJP announced on Tuesday that they would contest the election without naming any chief ministerial candidate, Kejriwal lost no time in attacking the BJP. In his inimitable style, he remarked, “BJP has already conceded defeat by going into elections without a chief ministerial candidate.” Kejriwal’s brand of politics continues to confound. Where’s the need for the BJP to declare a chief ministerial candidate given they have just won two big elections – Maharashtra and Haryana - without having one? And why take on Mukhi when the party itself is silent about him? Confrontation has been the hallmark of his brand of politics, but his latest position does not make sense. He gives the impression that he has not grown up much as a politician. [caption id=“attachment_1791157” align=“alignleft” width=“380” class=" “] AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal. Agencies[/caption] Here are the takeaways from his utterances: Be a giant-killer, when there is no giant to kill, create one: Kejriwal shot to fame by defeating three-time chief minister Sheila Dikshit in Delhi last year, then he contested against Narendra Modi in Varanasi. He lost, but won the good competitor award. Taking on biggies seems to have become a fascination for him. This time in Delhi, Sheila is out of the picture and no other candidate, from Kejriwal’s perspective, is big enough. So he had to create one in Mukhi. By naming Mukhi as his principal opponent, Kejriwal has given himself a new challenger. This, some believe, is a way to nullify the possible Modi wave in Delhi. “Arvind Kejriwal was eyeing for 7 Race Course Road, and thought since he could defeat Sheila Dikshit to become the Delhi CM, he would easily defeat Narendra Modi as well and become PM overnight. It did not happen. So, now he wants to change his stance,” Delhi BJP spokesperson Harish Khurana remarked. Whatever the truth, how does it help him or the political growth of his party? That’s anybody’s guess. Is Kejriwal looking for a safe seat? If at all Kejriwal takes on Mukhi, it will be in a north-west Delhi assembly segment. It means he has to abandon New Delhi unless, of course, he decides to contest two seats. Why? In Delhi assembly polls last year, Kejriwal had a massive support in the form of middle class voters, especially in his own constituency. New Delhi constituency comprises a large chunk of middle class voters, including bureaucrats, government employees and also a section of upper-middle class voters. In Kejriwal’s own admission, a considerable section of middle-class has got disenchanted with the AAP. “Kejriwal wants to maintain and use his image of a giant killer that he had gained by defeating Delhi’s former CM Sheila Dikshit. But simultaneously, he’s also aware that this time, it won’t be an easy task for him to contest from New Delhi constituency. His core voters have got frustrated by his way of politics, and may not vote him back in power,” a Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee member explained. “There is a clear shift in middle class vote bank from AAP or any other political party to the BJP. The recent Haryana and Maharashtra poll results have proved it once again. Modi wave can’t be ignored,” said BJP’s national vice president Prabhat Jha. Why push for Jagdish Mukhi? “Kejriwal may not shift his constituency, but he is sounding as if he has nominated Jagdish Mukhi as BJP’s chief ministerial candidate. And as he had later claimed that he named Mukhi as his opponent, it is such a fall — from fighting Modi to fighting Mukhi,” remarked Rakesh Agrawal, one of the ex-founding members of AAP, who was closely associated with Kejriwal for 15 years. Many in the political circles believe it is a well-planned strategy of Kejriwal to create confusion among the BJP rank by invoking Mukhi’s name. The BJP is a divided house in Delhi and there are several names for the top job. While the tussle over leadership has not become public, Kejriwal’s pointed reference to a single person may lead to heartburn among others. The reason for the BJP leadership to drop Mukhi’s name and go ahead without having a CM nominee is not yet clear. “Mukhi is anyway going to be 75 by next year, and Modi has fixed 75 years as retirement age?” added Agrawal. Perhaps Kejriwal wants to convey the message that I am better than the BJP’s best candidate in Delhi. Congress, of course, is nowhere in the picture.