Why both Kejriwal and Modi are to blame for not taking care of Delhi
On completion of six months in office in Delhi, the Aam Aadmi Party government came out with a report card full of achievements. Its rivals - the BJP and Congress - have expectedly trashed all of that, saying the government did all the wrong things. Like always, the reality lies somewhere in between.
There is no doubt the AAP has shown the right intent. What is also not disputed is that ego clashes between the Delhi government and the Centre looked like shrinking the space for delivery of services. It's not hard to figure who the real loser would be if this went on for long.
The AAP is fighting for more powers, the ultimate one being the full statehood to Delhi. It's a pledge all parties take before elections, and thus must be pursued once in power. But it cannot be a reason for both the AAP and Centre to make Delhi their battleground, directly or indirectly. Delhi is not a TV studio where political scores can be settled amid surround sound.
Delhi is the national capital. And it has plenty of problems - half of its population lives in unlivable conditions. The AAP is giving cheap power and free water to many. The party looks serious, at least in budgetary provisions, about health and education reforms. But despite forming a dedicated commission, there is little movement on fixing pollution, traffic, transportation and law and order issues. This can be done only when both governments are on the same page.
One saw the differences between the Delhi government and the Centre's appointee lieutenant-governor Najeeb Jung leading to several key governance decisions and public institutions being put on hold. Be it the anti-corruption branch, Delhi Commission for Women or land reforms issues.
Cases of territorial jurisdiction have reached courts. People gave mandate to both governments for good governance, and not to wait for the outcomes of long-drawn court cases to know the exact power share.
But can Jung challenge the authority of an elected government on his own? Though he is the boss in some key matters including policing, land and reshuffling of senior bureaucrats because Delhi is not a full state, it is anyone's guess that he has been meddlesome under instructions from the Centre. So much for the tenet of cooperative federalism.
The AAP shares the blame. Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has been saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not able to stomach the BJP's crushing defeat in Delhi, and is using Jung to stall governance in the capital and discredit the AAP. But instead of trying to understand constitutional limitations, the AAP took certain decisions in a manner that Jung had to reverse them. Can the AAP, which claims to be different, afford to behave like career politicians? Kejriwal has virtually no opposition in Delhi. Why create one by fighting the Centre? Trying to make up for governance deficit through laudatory adverts, which cost crores of rupees paid by taxpayer, is foolishness. The AAP cannot forget what differentiated them with other parties in the first place.
The common refrain is people heavily invested in the AAP despite occasional shocks and disappointments. The party should not be in a hurry to prove them wrong.
The AAP has four and a half years to go. That's a huge opportunity. But that's scary too. Many of the AAP's projects, including new bus fleets, are stuck for want of land. Greater cooperation is needed on power and health fronts as well. It is good to see Kejriwal strike a conciliatory note and push for a working relationship with Modi and his ministers.
One hopes the PM and his team reciprocate appropriately. Delhi deserves that and more.