Move Over Syriza and Podemos – Revolutionary Indian Political Party Sweeps New Delhi Elections

Screen Shot 2015-02-10 at 3.15.18 PMCritics say that Kejriwal has been acting like a political novice by releasing a slew of allegations that may not come to much. Khurshid, for once, has said that Kejriwal was “an ant taking on the might of an elephant”.

Kejriwal accepts that survival in Indian politics against established political behemoths requires “strategic planning”, acknowledging that his “timing could have been planned better”. 

While Kejriwal admits he is still learning, he believes that the truth will prevail. “Remember they may have survived for many decades in politics, but we too are formidable foes in pursuing truth,” he said.

Kejriwal objects to the fact that “power is vested in a political establishment in Delhi and in state capitals. It needs to be people-centric”. His use of street protests has earned him the respect of the middle class.

– From the November 4, 2012 Al Jazeera article: India’s ‘Assange’ crusades against corruption

More than two years ago, I published an article titled, Meet Arvind Kejriwal: “India’s Julian Assange,” which focused on the crusade for social justice of a man I had never heard of. It immediately seemed important to me as further evidence of the nascent global political awakening against corrupt politicians, large corporations and central banks. In the intervening years, we have seen the rise of Syriza in Greece, Podemos in Spain and even Bepe Grillo’s Five Star Movement in Italy. I hadn’t heard of Mr. Kejriwal again…until today.

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A New Political Party Emerges in India and Shocks Everyone with Strong Election Results

Political grounds are shaking all over the world, and it seems India is the latest nation to experience such tremors.

Back in October, I highlighted the fact that the formerly “fringe” anti-euro Front National Party in France, led by Marine Le Pen, had shocked the nation by performing exceptionally well in regional elections. Not only was this a surprise because its strong anti-euro (currency) position is so outside the so-called “mainstream,” but also because it is not one of the traditional parties that shares power in France’s own version of the false left-right (Democrat/Republican) sham political paradigm.

Well now it appears the same thing is happening in India, with the sudden emergence of the AAP (Aam Admi or Common Man Party). Frustrated with the inept governance of the ruling Congress Party, and unwilling to embrace what is seen as a corporate backed Hindu-nationalist opposition BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party), many Indians, at least in Delhi, are looking to embrace something new.

From the Guardian:

Outside the headquarters of the Aam Admi (Common Man) party in central Delhi on Sunday night, hawkers sold poppadoms, bored police watched from squad cars and a crowd of excited young people sang songs dating back to the days of India’s independence movement.

“This is what we do best in this country: non-violent revolution,” said Shehshan Partak, a 25-year-old engineer and activist for Aam Admi (AAP). “And this is a revolution.”

The claim is exaggerated but perhaps not entirely unjustified. The results of recent elections in Delhi and three other Indian states, released on Sunday, indicate that change is imminent in the in the world’s biggest democracy. A general election is less than six months away.

In local assembly elections in Delhi, India’s sprawling capital, the party won 28 out of 70 seats. Kejriwal himself beat the chief minster of the city, a veteran of the ruling Congress party who had dismissed the AAP as “not even on our radar” when it was founded a year ago, by a massive 27,000-vote margin. Congress was wiped out, reduced to eight seats.

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