Kejriwal reveals his Delhi plans

mangaloretoday.com

New Delhi, Dec 24: Kejriwal admitted that his MLAs are inexperienced but argued that lack of prior administrative experience is not a handicap to good governance.

Dismissed by old-school politicians and held in obvious contempt by others, AAP has completed Mission Impossible, on Monday staking its claim to form the new government in Delhi with Arvind Kejriwal as chief minister. Speaking exclusively to India Today, Kejriwal said he wants to be a revolutionary chief minister who will not compromise with principles to remain in office.

“Sardar Patel and Lal Bahadur Shastri were practical but they were revolutionaries even while in power.” Kejriwal hastened to add that being a revolutionary does not mean that he will be a destructive chief minister.

 

“I want to work with a missionary zeal but that doesn’t mean that I want to be destructive in my approach to governance. I want to work in a constructive way and take the people of Delhi along. The most important thing for the chief minister to have a spirit of wanting to serve people. If injustice is being done in his region, the chief minister should feel the pain. If his heart does not the ache for the people, all he will do is clear files.”

Senior Congress and BJP leaders have been taunting Kejriwal, challenging him to deliver on the tall promises made by AAP. Leaders from both parties are confident that AAP will not be able to govern Delhi effectively and the party will be exposed before the general elections. Having proven the big boys of politics wrong, Kejriwal is confident that he can do it again.

“Governance is not a big deal. No one is born a chief minister. Everyone has a first time. Politicians shouldn’t think that the aam aadmi of this country is weak. The aam aadmi of this country knows how to cook, weave clothes and build houses. It is an aam aadmi who went to the moon. Not a politician. The aam aadmi will now show that he also knows how to govern.”

Kejriwal admitted that his MLAs are inexperienced but argued that lack of prior administrative experience is not a handicap to good governance. “What had Arvinder Lovely ever done in the field of education before becoming the education minister? Rajkumar Chauhan was the Congress food minister.

What work had he done in this area before becoming the minister? We will form an honest government.

There are lots of experts who can guide the government. Take the problem of water distribution. The government will engage experts who have worked extensively in this area. The intention of the previous government was dishonest. That is why problems did not get solved. I’m very happy I don’t have the experience our politicians have.”

Kejriwal has drawn up an elaborate plan to roll out the promises made in the AAP manifesto.

Ministers in waiting

From former journalists to social activists, Kejriwal’s core team includes leaders with a zeal to work for change

Manish Sisodia, Patparganj

The former Zee News producer has been with Kejriwal since his Parivartan days, and together they formed the Public Cause Research Foundation as well as India Against Corruption. Sisodia takes the call on framing broad strategies on the team’s media blitzkrieg.

Saurabh Bhardwaj, Greater Kailash

The suave engineer had his first brush with political apathy when he tried to get justice for a poor woman who was allegedly raped.

The incident shook him so much that he studied law to equip himself with legal knowledge and fight such cases. He gives free legal aid to the poor.

VInod Kr. Binny, Laxmi Nagar

The independent MCD councillor from Laxmi Nagar had won twice from the area. Binny was a member of Congress for two years from 2009- 2011. As an MCD councillor, 40- year- old Binny has worked towards making governance approachable to public by organising mohalla sabhas. He defeated Congress’s AK Walia by 8,000 votes.

Somnath Bharti, Malviya Nagar

The former IITian has defeated Congress’s Kiran Walia by winning the seat with 32,258 votes.

Bharti, a Supreme Court lawyer, is a popular figure among University students, who helped him with campaigning in the area.

Rajesh Garg, Rohini

The 50-year-old leader is not new to politics and has been associated with the Congress in the past. Garg joined the Congress in 1987 and quit it this year. According to Garg, he was asked to contest election by Kejriwal after he got to know about Garg’s complaint to Lokayukta.

Rakhi Birla, Mangolpuri

The 26-year-old former journalist has worked in private news channels and social organisations before joining the Jan Lokpal movement. The female face of AAP has worked for the down- trodden community, including the Valmiki community in her area.

Bandana Kumari, Shalimar Bagh

She might look like another homemaker from a middle class family, but Bandana was cut our for larger things in life.

Fighting for the rights of poor women while running a social organisation called ‘Nayi Pehal’, Kumari created a mass base in her constituency.

He realises that time available to him to make good his promises is very short since the model code of conduct will come into force after March.

Water and electricity are going to be the two major thrust areas of the new government and Kejriwal is confident that if he can deliver on even 50 per cent of the promises made in these two areas, people of the Capital will reward his party in the next election. Several retired officials of the Delhi Jal Board and the electricity companies have been meeting Kejriwal and his aides over the last few days and revealing the murky details of the goings- on in these departments and suggesting ways of combating graft and improving efficiency.

AAP plans to set up Mohalla Sabhas where citizens will gather on one Sunday every month to decide the priorities for the area.

“Instead of people running around MLAs, our MLAs will come to the people. Citizens have to take out time for the government just once every month. The Mohalla Sabha will be organised in the local park and people can come and list out what work they want done in their locality. The different suggestions can be put to vote. Officials will be asked to take up what ever task majority of the people in the locality want. Contractors will not be paid till the time the locals testify that they are satisfied with the quality of the work that has been done.” Kejriwal says the last few months have made him a big believer in God again.

“I grew up in a very religious family. But the scientific temper ingrained in me during my time at IIT Kharagpur made me a non-believer. But everything that has happened in the last three years has made me believe in God once again. Anna sat on a fast and a massive movement took birth. What has happened after that has made me realise how small I am. Something divine is happening in this country.

I am convinced all I have to do is continue with my work and leave the rest to God.”