Why couldn’t AAP n Kejriwal factor work in Uttarakhand drawing a blank ?

A question is haunting me constantly as to why and how Aam Admi Party’s national convenor and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal considered to be politician of possibility, having achieved a historic victory in Punjab forming his government, compelling the ruling Congress government and SAD bite dust, has not proved successful in Uttarakhand rather a huge flop, despite his best efforts. Though a first time entrant in Uttarakhand assembly election all of a sudden, nobody expected it as an alternative, but what is surprising is the fact that the AAM ADMI PARTY has not won on a single seat with his prospective chief minister candidate Colonel ( R) Ajay Kothiyal too losing from Gangotri seat.

Moreover, the total vote percentage of AAP in Uttarakhand assembly elections was merely 3.8% though the party had contested for the very first time and could get hardly ten months to prepare themselves to counter the two national parties, BJP and Congress, having deep roots among the masses of Uttarakhand. Prior to the formation of Uttarakhand state, being in undivided UP, the Congress was the only party that ruled here but after 1992 demolition of Babri Masjid, the BJP enhanced its political influence with Ram Temple issue making its tremendous impact.

After giving Uttarakhand a separate state entity officially during the tenure of prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, BJP derived maximum political mileage ruling the state twice n Congress also twice, continuing for the third time now, breaking the previous myths of alternate governments coming to power after every assembly election. According to the incharge and chief observer of Aam Admi Party of Uttarakhand Dinesh Mohaniya the party lost badly because it could not get much time to prepare itself followed by two pandemic waves etc. The AAM Admi party’s largest vote had been in one constituency only securing 20000 votes n 16000 votes in another constituency.

It secured more than 5000 votes in 14 to 15 constituencies and about ten thousand votes in seven constituencies adds Mohaniya. However, the party has secured the third position in the state after BJP and Congress pushing Uttarakhand Kranti Dal on fourth position whose every candidate had lost their security deposits. Sources reveal that after the Aam Admi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal got an inkling that in Punjab they are winning hands down, the total AAP leaders concentrated there leaving Uttarakhand AAP in the lurch with its few leaders like deputy CM Manish Sisodiya, deputy speaker, Delhi Rakhi Birla giving some time in few selected constituencies with Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Maan too campaigning for few days, thus not impacting in vast Uttarakhand.

After deeply analysing the party’s bad defeat in Uttarakhand it was felt that it was lacking a proper organisational structure at the grass roots with shortage of candidates, adequate funding, shortage of transport, publicity material and shortage of party workers including the support given to Samajwadi Party in UP initially, withdrawn later but AAP leader Sanjay Singh’s picture shaking hands with Akhilesh Yadav going viral in social media. Despite all this people were still having having an urge to vote for AAP keeping in view the freebies announced by AAP leadership.

Above all this since AAP majorly captures the Congress traditional votes of minorities, Dalits, n of JJ clusters including small n mediam shopkeepers, traders and middle classes it has formed government in Delhi and Punjab where Congress party rules. Had Congress been in power in Uttarakhand too he could have tilted the balance to a great extent as majority community votes seldom goes to AAP.

To substantiate my point, take the case of Kashmir Files, despite majority of BJP ruled states making this film tax free, Kejriwal didn’t do it as he won’t annoy the minorities at any cost.

Though these concessions and freebies clicked in Punjab, in Uttarakhand it hardly had an effect despite the fact that in Kejrival’s rallies, public meetings and road shows, the crowd was tremendous, especially of the women and youths. The freebies like 300 units free electricity every month, unemployment allowance of Rs 5000 per family, one lakh jobs in a year and doles of Rs 1000 to every women above 18 years did clicked to a great extent but lack of resources and loose organisational structure in Ukhand could not impact the voters effectively as happened in Punjab. However, despite this, nobody can deny the hard fact that it did negatively impacted the chances of Congress in some seats.

As far as the victory of BJP is concerned securing 47 seats n repeating for the fifth time breaking the myth of alternate governments, one hard fact can’t be denied that Modi charisma worked fully and the polarisation was on its peak, not only in Uttarakhand but in other states too except Punjab where AAP made history.