Delhi Goes Broom-Broom

For a change, it’s broom-broom, not vroom-vroom on Delhi roads (obviously not all) these days as theme cleanliness makes its way back to the national capital.

It all started from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Swachch Bharat Abhiyan” last year, when social media was abuzz with comments of his “masterstroke” that saw both the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) virtually conceding their election symbols – hand or palm and broom respectively – to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

AAP's Safai Abhiyan in Delhi on June 13.
AAP/Twitter

Modi’s campaign became a big hit with the prime minister himself nominating celebrities from different walks of life for his #SwachchBharatAbhiyan. The opposition, however, rubbished it saying it was only a photo op for Modi and his party colleagues.

Somehow, Delhi’s cleanliness war has revived. In fact, it has not just revived, but has intensified. The fight is not restricted between the ruling AAP and its key challenger BJP, but even now insignificant Congress has also jumped into the fray.

A day after Delhi's sanitation workers called off their strike over their unpaid salaries, it was a battle for broom-upmanship when leaders of both the BJP and the AAP took to cleaning the streets as they also threw dirt at each other blaming for the garbage crisis in the city.

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia led the AAP campaign on the city roads along with the party leaders Sanjay Singh, Ashutosh and Alka Lamba on Saturday morning.

Delhi BJP's Safai Abhiyan on June 13.
BJP/Twitter

It was then the turn of BJP to wield the broom as the party’s Delhi chief Satish Upadhyay also got into the cleanliness mode. As he led the cleanliness drive, Upadhyay blamed Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for the stinking mess, accusing him of only doing politics rather than focusing on governance.

Congress too is not sitting idle all this while. And, the party’s charge was led by none other than the party’s heir apparent Rahul Gandhi. The party launched a dual attack on the BJP-led government at the Centre and AAP's state government over the garbage crisis in the city after some sanitation workers visited the Congress vice-president to thank him for his support.

The Congress claimed that it was after Rahul Gandhi's meeting with the agitating workers that the matter was resolved and nearly 15,000 sanitation workers ended their 12-day strike.

Rahul Gandhi with Delhi Safai Karmcharis during their agitation on June 12.
@OfficeOfRG/Twitter

"Now when the strike has ended, those belonging to the party of PM Narendra Modi and AAP have come out on the streets for a photo op in the name of clearing the garbage. Neither AAP nor those belonging to Modiji's party spare any opportunity of photo-up," senior Congress leader Shakeel Ahmed said.

Whoever gets the credit for any good that happens in Delhi, let the city and its people benefit. Let the broom fight go on so that Delhi gets rid of that stink it has remained notorious for. Hope these Safai Abhiyans do not just end up as photo ops for these parties!

Is BJP wary of Delhi's floating vote bank?

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has certainly mastered the art of sting operation, which it often uses to nail its political rivals or big corporate houses.
Genuine or not is a matter of investigation, but such sting operations do keep the humble Arvind Kejriwal and his young outfit in news.

A grab from AAP sting on BJP's Sher Singh Dagar (left)

The genuineness of the latest AAP 'Stinger' - purportedly showing Delhi BJP vice-president Sher Singh Dagar offering Rs 4 crore to MLA from Sangam Vihar Dinesh Mohania to abstain from voting in the eventuality of a trust vote in the House - remains to be seen.
The BJP not standing by Dagar strongly indicates the party might ultimately distance itself from the leader. Media reports quoting sources even suggested that the veteran leader might be shown the door, signifying the allegation against him could be true.
Dagar's expulsion from the party might reduce the impact AAP would have desired from the latest operation.
Nevertheless, the BJP seems to playing to a larger game plan. Going by a series of statements from its leaders at national and state levels, the party doesn't really look keen on forming government through horse-trading, as repeatedly alleged by the AAP.
The BJP actually seems to be buying time, an opportune time when it can confidently face the electorate.
Till a few weeks ago, there was no reason for the saffron party to worry as far as its position in Delhi is concerned. It would have probably secured seats beyond its expectation had the assembly polls been conducted with the General Elections.
No doubt Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his team are working hard to achieve their promise of "ache din". It has even started showing in some areas.
But the key issues - corruption and inflation - remain largely unaddressed. Moreover, India's recovering economy is largely the outcome of sentiments based on NDA's promises and some steps taken by the UPA government in its last few months, coupled with the stern measures of Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
Having lost its government in 1998 owing to high onion prices, BJP knows that inflation, particularly of food items, might force a retreat of its floating vote bank, which helped it win all seven Lok Sabha seats in the national capital.
The last few years' trends suggest food prices are bound to ease to some extent after the end of monsoon season. It may take a few more weeks to make food prices a non-issue for the assembly polls.
The BJP apparently wants to wait for the arrival of achhe din before going for polls in Delhi along with the other election-bound states. After all, it can't afford to lose Delhi this time!