By Shanti Bhushan

In the Lok Sabha Elections in May 2014, the BJP had won in 60 Assembly constituencies out of 70. Why did it lose the Delhi Assembly elections so badly on 7th February? Why those who had voted for BJP in May 2014 turned against the BJP in such large numbers in just 8 months?

In all meetings in the Lok Sabha campaign, Modi had consciously sought the support of the minorities and the slogan “SABKA SAATH SABKA VIKAS” was the outcome of that approach. This assured people that hereafter Modi would act as a secular leader and even some Muslims, though in small numbers voted for BJP and the Congress was decimated.

However, subsequent to the Lok Sabha elections, several BJP MPs like Sakshi Maharaj, Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti and Yogi Adityanath started spewing venom against the minorities and incidents of vandalism of churches also started. The intellectuals in India have a strong secular thinking and hate rabid communalism. They expected that Modi would condemn these actions in no uncertain terms but this did not happen. People started doubting Modi’s secular intentions and decided to teach him a lesson in Delhi elections, which they did on 7th February. Even though the middle classes were not otherwise inclined to support AAP, but since the Congress vote would have only helped BJP, they had no option except to vote for the AAP, just to punish the BJP. Of course the Jhuggi dwellers and other low income groups who had been genuinely affected by Arvind’s propaganda about his promises, wanted to vote for AAP.

The fielding of Kiran Bedi enabled the BJP to project an honest face, who had campaigned against corruption and who was perceived as a hard working and efficient administrator. This was however not enough to make BJP win in the present circumstances.

AAP is destined for a big win in Delhi. I would have been extremely happy with this win had it come without sacrificing the important principles for which this party had been created. However after the Lok Sabha elections, Arvind started believing that elections could be won only by adopting the means used by other parties. He gave a large number of tickets to people who had amassed a lot of wealth by questionable means and were prepared to buy votes by distributing money and liquor. One of such candidates Balyan from Uttamnagar has even been caught by the police for stocking liquor for distribution among the voters. He also accepted tainted money and abandoned all principles of inner party democracy. I must frankly admit that I am not happy with AAP win in such conditions. A message needed to be sent to both Arvind and Modi to make corrections so that Modi could try to win back the trust of the minorities and Arvind to win back the trust of the Middle and upper middle classes again.

The real test of Arvind would come now after he forms his government. He has made 70 promises to the people of Delhi which would require enormous monetary resources with considerable talent for effective governance.

The elections in Bihar and other states will be approaching. So far Arvind had been saying that till he had captured Delhi he would not allow AAP to contest elections in any state. He will now have to contest there otherwise people will conclude that his sole object was to become the Chief Minister of Delhi.

(The author is a former Union Law Minister and a Senior Advocate in Supreme Court Of India)