DESPITE AAP’S GRAND SHOWING, DELHI FACES HUNG ASSEMBLY

The phenomenal rise of the Aam Aadmi Party notwithstanding, the Delhi Assembly elections have thrown up a hung verdict. With the BJP bagging 31 seats in the 70-member Assembly, followed by the AAP with 28 seats and the Congress, 8, uncertainty prevails over government-formation. One seat each has gone to an Independent, the JD(U) and the Akali Dal, which is an ally of the BJP.The BJP’s chief ministerial candidate, Harsh Vardhan, said on Sunday night that he would not stake claim to form government as his party was short of a clear majority. “And honestly, I think selflessly, I prefer to sit in the Opposition, try and help any government that is there in the offing by anyone and support them for the people’s cause,” he said.

In this scenario, the ascent of the AAP, much like the Jayaprakash Narayan movement of the 1970s, has opened up space for alternative politics, much to the chagrin of established parties.Leading the party’s debut, Arvind Kejriwal, an IIT graduate, swept three-time Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit out of her New Delhi constituency.A common desire in April 2011 for an anti-corruption law brought together Mr. Kejriwal, lawyer Prashant Bhushan and other civil society members to join hands with anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare.Somewhere along the line, the India Against Corruption movement lost its momentum, but Mr. Kejriwal and others became household names.In September 2012, Mr. Kejriwal announced his decision to form a party and contest elections.