In Focus: How Congress, Samajwadi Party Could Affect Narendra Modi Vs Arvind Kejriwal Battle In Varanasi?

By M H Ahssan | INNLIVE

MY INDIA - MY VOTE Aam Aadmi Party’s Arvind Kejriwal now has the right opportunity to dominate the media space which he has been accusing Narendra Modi of buying out. The opportunity has been provided by Modi himself after he was declared the Bharatiya Janata Party's candidate for Varanasi in the upcoming election. 

On Sunday, Kejriwal confirmed while speaking at a rally in Bangalore’s Freedom Park that he would contest against Modi in Varanasi. “The party has asked me to fight against Modi. I’m not here to win or lose. I will go to Varansi on 23 March and hold a rally. If people ask me to fight, I’ll fight,” he said. 

Manohar Parrikar And Arvind Kejriwal: 'Political Twins'?

By Navneet Achaungar | Panaji

They aren’t exactly like those twins in a typical Manmohan Desai blockbuster film who are separated at birth. But the more you look at Goa’s maverick Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and Delhi’s new political messiah Arvind Kejriwal and appreciate their methods, the more similar they appear.

The duo, who mercilessly slayed the political beast called the Congress in their respective states in a manner that few ever have, are both alumni of Indian Institutes of Technology. Parrikar, the metallurgist passed out of IIT-Bombay in 1978, while the younger Kejriwal cleared his graduation in mechanical engineering from the other prestigious IIT-Kharagpur in 1989. 

Focus: The Great AAP Soap Opera: From Comrades To Foes

The Aam Aadmi Party’s bitter internal feud has played out like a daily soap. High drama, explosive stings, allegations of violence, cuss words, backroom intrigue - it’s all out there for public consumption.

The latest episode - the dramatic exit of founder members Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan from the national executive. Yadav called it a “murder of democracy” and Bhushan alleged ‘goondagardi’ by Kejriwal supporters.

But this is not the first. AAP’s ‘filmy’ history is full of tales of friends who gradually turned foes.

'All Set For Swearing-In Ceremony For AAP's Arvind Kejriwal'

By Kajol Singh | Delhi

President Pranab Mukherjee has accepted Delhi Lt Governor Najeeb Jung's proposal on government formation by Aam Aadmi Party. The Home Ministry has now sent the President's communication to Najeeb Jung. "It is up to the L-G to decide the date of swearing-in after holding consultation with Chief Minister designate," the Home Ministry said.

Kejriwal had on Wednesday said the swearing-in ceremony is unlikely to be held on Thursday as he has not received a call from Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung yet. Kejriwal said he will invite anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare to the national capital once the date of the swearing-in ceremony is announced by Najeeb Jung.

Arvind Kejriwal: The Most Dangerous Man In Indian Politics

By Sadanand Mihir | INNLIVE

SPECIAL REPORT Not rabble-rousing but deliverance through governance is what Kejriwal should be aiming at and for that he must steer clear of populist overtones that his 49-day rule as Delhi chief minister came to symbolise.

For many Indians, their country’s most exciting politician is neither the firebrand Hindu nationalist Narendra Modi nor the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty scion Rahul Gandhi, but Arvind Kejriwal, a mustachioed, bespectacled former tax inspector whom most people had barely heard of just three years ago.

AAP's 'Valentines' Day: Quits On Feb 14, Returns On Feb 14

Its going to be exactly a year where he had resigned as Delhi Chief Minister, the AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal will be taking oath as the CM in the capital state again on February 14 at Ramlila Maidan.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government ended dramatically their 49-day-old tenure, where the then Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal stepped down on a Friday evening when their government’s move to introduce the Jan Lokpal Bill was defeated by the BJP and Congress in the Delhi Assembly.

AAP Supremo, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, A Man In 'Hurry'?

By Sitara Bhushan | Delhi

Arvind Kejriwal, who pledged to root out corruption after steering AAP to power in Delhi, was a man in a hurry and set a scorching pace to try to fulfil his anti-graft legislative agenda but his tumultous journey as Chief Minister ended in seven weeks. 

As the controversy over the Jan Lokpal Bill deepened with Lt Governor Najeeb Jung advising the Delhi Assembly Speaker against allowing its tabling and Congress and BJP opposing it, Kejriwal stuck to his word today by carrying out the threat to quit if the proposed legislation did not get through even at the introduction stage.

Why Arvind Kejriwal A Spectacular Political Entrepreneur?

By M H Ahssan | INN Live

There is no better time to be a political entrepreneur in India as today. While Arvind Kejriwal is the face of that entrepreneurial resurgence, his bigger impact is in the creation of an entirely new politics, akin to the discovery of a new market, that holds the promise of power. 

If business schools still haven’t begun to write their case studies on the spectacular debut of Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), they’re going to get left behind in academic entrepreneurship. The strongest signal the elections in Delhi have sent across the political spectrum is that even today, there is space for innovation, there are gaps in the market for power, there is room for enterprise. 

Analysis: Arvind Kejriwal Needs To Go Beyond Rhetoric

By Likha Veer | INNLIVE

Chroniclers will be bewildered when they try to capture the 49 days of governance of Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi under former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. From a spectacular show in the polls but falling short of a majority, forming a government supported by an arch rival, the AAP government in Delhi attempted to deliver all pre-poll promises in the shortest possible time even if that meant offending those who are key to the government's survival. 

Not everbody is taking what AAP is offering at face value. Questions were raised from the very beginning why the government was formed with Congress support even if it was not formally sought. Political pundits, including AAP's strategists,  always knew that this bonhomie would never last long. 

Arvind Kejriwal's List: He Has Caught The Mainstream Parties And Old Fuddy-Duddies Off Guard Again!

By Capt G R Gopinath (Guest Writer)

The hallmark of guerrilla warfare is the element of surprise and to be always one step ahead of the enemy. Just when the enemy is smug and wallowing in his comfort zone, 'Boom!' There's an ambush.

The audacious naming of twenty-five 'most corrupt' politicians in the country, which seems to be the first list, was once again a classic guerrilla tactic that caught the big bosses of the mainstream parties and the old fuddy-duddies off guard. 

Why Arvind Kejriwal Describes Himself As 'Lord Rama' And Adores RSS Policies? Is He Really Serious On Joining BJP?

By Bhushan Pandit | Delhi

TOP STORY Following media reports that Arvind Kejriwal might join BJP, the Aam Aadmi Party convener changed his stance on joining BJP, saying, "he was being misinterpreted".

"I'll never join these parties (BJP or Congress)," he asserted, while campaigning in different assembly segments of East Delhi constituency.

The former Delhi Chief minister's statement came after several media publications reported that Kejriwal might join BJP if Narendra Modi promises not to increase gas prices, if elected. 

Who's Behind Kejriwal's U-turn On Expanding Across India

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal can learn from a memorable scene in Vishal Bhardwaj’s Maqbool. In that film, Pankaj Kapoor (Abbaji) gets irriated by a politician, thrusts a paan into his mouth and menacingly tells him, “Gilori khaya karo, gulfaam, zubaan kaboo mein rehti hai.”

Chewing too much betel leaves (gilori) could be injurious to health. But there is certainly some merit in the other suggestion: a politician should think before he speaks, especially in public.

Did Kejriwal Make Major Mistake With Congress Alliance?

By Sanjay Singh | Delhi

The leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had a seemingly irresistible offer – unconditional support from the vanquished Congress party – to form a government, but he more or less asked them to go jump. Did Arvind Kejriwal blow it? While no one should have any illusions about the value of the Congress’s offer of support – it would have been withdrawn when it suited that party – Kejriwal’s arrogant riposte to the offer bordered on the downright arrogant. 

Speaking outside the Delhi Lt Governor’s residence, Kejriwal set impossible terms for the Congress (or even the BJP) in order to maintain the illusion that he has been forced into another election and that he is not the one forcing it. His language was that of an activist, not of a responsible leader who has promises to keep.

OPEd: When 'Aam Aadmi' Reaches At 'Imperial Of Status'?

By Kajol Singh | INN Live

Remembered the day when Aam Admi Party founder Arvind Kejriwal met me at a small gathering in Delhi. He look too ambitious on social work and service to Delhietes. Now, today, he scripts history in the people's mandate by winning thumping majority in his political career with a support of 'aam aadmi'.  This is the victory of a common man of India. Where a common man can rule the roost of politics with the help of civil society.

The Clash Of Power: 'NaMo Vs AAP’s Guerilla War' Begins

By M H Ahssan | INNLIVE

SPECIAL STORY Yesterday's violent events involving the BJP and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) offer a classic case study in what happens when a heavily armed conventional army is forced to fight a war with lightly-armed and mobile insurgents. The BJP made every possible tactical mistake it could while AAP did what it does best. 

The Most 'Sorryful' Tales Of Two 'Chief Ministers' Of India

By Kalyani Shankar (Guest Writer)

Kiran Kumar Reddy and Arvind Kejriwal would love to ‘sacrifice’ their posts for the ‘larger’ good. It sounds unconvincing. With the general election round the corner, two States — Delhi and Andhra Pradesh — appear to be moving towards President’s Rule as Chief Ministers of both the States are in a mood to quit, although for different reasons. 

While Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is threatening to resign if the Jan Lokpal Bill is not passed by the Delhi Assembly, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy wants to quit if the Telangana issue is not resolved by Parliament.

After Refusing Govt Bungalow, 'Aam Aadmi' Arvind Kejriwal To Move On A Luxurious 5-Bedroom Duplex House

By Sanjay Rathod | Delhi

After having refused a bungalow, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has finally decided to move into a five-bedroom duplex house in Delhi. Kejriwal's current move is likely to provide ammunition to the Opposition to target him, as they had already hit out at his austerity matters in the past.

Earlier, Delhi Chief Secretary DM Sapolia had proposed a bungalow for Kejriwal as the Chief Minister, to which he had said no.

Kejriwal, who had also refused security cover, lives in Kaushambi in Uttar Pradesh with his family. "Thank you for offering me the security. But as I already informed earlier, I don't need any security. I don't need any escort or PSO. God is my biggest security. 

'Kejriwal Has To Bridge Gap Between Idealism And Reality'

By Anupam Srivastava (Guest Writer)

As it suffers the assault of reality, Arvind Kejriwal's idealism is on test. How it fares has profound implications for India's future politics. Kejriwal has already reversed his decision to hold public meetings and has thereby made himself relatively inaccessible to the people. As his detractors - mostly envious politicians - share a laugh and wait for him to conform further to the ways of Indian politics, Kejriwal has to tread the razor's edge of an administrator and an activist. It will not be easy.

Commentary: Indian Muslims, AAP And A Lost Opportunity

By Syed Ubaidur Rahman (Guest Writer)

Many Muslims in Delhi are very happy with the arrival of Arvind Kejriwal and his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on the political scene. But Muslims, who always had a representation in the Sheila Dikshit cabinet, are disappointed that there is no Muslim in Kejriwal's cabinet.

Muslims themselves are to be blamed for this. Prior to and during the Delhi elections, Kejriwal left no stone unturned to court Muslims and their leaders. But neither Muslim groups nor Muslims supported him the way other segments of the population did.

Curious Case of Kejriwal: Passion, Promise And Irrelevance

By Likha Veer | INNLIVE

CLOSE LOOK It all began with a genuine passion followed by a promise of alternative politics of delivery with integrity, but ambition may have already turned it irrelevant. At this critical moment in India’s life, in spite of, apparently, his best intentions, Kejriwal may end up damaging national interests by playing into the hands of those who prefer India to be perpetually in the protest mode. It is time to worry.    

The rise of Arvind Kejriwal is an extraordinary story of coincidence and craft. Given the national media concentration in Delhi (MCD) there is media fitness struggle to survive on hourly basis and the consequent drama invariably turns local and petty issues into national news, sometimes creating unprecedented opportunities.