Yogendra Yadav charts an AAP path away from blind Leftism

India Inc need not fret too much about the rise of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) - the party that promises to cut electricity tariffs and offer free water and go after corrupt politicians and businessmen. AAP’s policy catalyst Yogendra Yadav today clarified the party’s policy stand saying that even though its heart was socialist, it would use its head to follow pragmatic, non-doctrinaire policies for achieving public good.

In an interview to The Economic Times, Yadav said, “We are not going to follow a prefixed template.” He said that the party would attempt to reduce inequality and poverty in Delhi through a policy mix that achieves these outcomes best.

[caption id=“attachment_1295067” align=“alignright” width=“380”]  Yogendra Yadav. Ibnlive[/caption]

The AAP has been criticised for pushing a left-wing policy philosophy. Times of India reported yesterday (24 December) that the party has also decided not to allow global majors into the multi-brand retail sector, thus shutting out a very lucrative market for the Wal-Marts and Tescos of the world.At the heart of the business community’s hesitation to accept the AAP wholeheartedly is the party’s promises of free water and cheap power.

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Thus, various business leaders have termed the agenda in the AAP’s manifesto as “utopian”.

Though acorruption-free governance is what most people want, it is feared that AAP’s insistence on populist Left-of-the-centre economic agenda will be a death knell for the economy and business.

Will the AAP leader’s promise - that the party’s agenda does not include blind use of the state as mai-baap to improve people’s lives - satisfy the business community? For India Inc, which has been brought up on the unhealthy broth of crony capitalism, it is time to keep fingers crossed.