BY MOHAMMED SHOEB and SANAULLAH
DOHA: Several Indian expatriates in Qatar believe that the landslide victory of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi Assembly elections will open a new chapter in Indian politics.
The exceptional performance of the two-year-old AAP in the polls by winning 67 of the 70 seats has drawn international attention. “I was glued to the TV since morning watching results minute by minute. I am happy and excited for the people of Delhi that they have now got a leader they deserved the best,” said Shadab Amani, who studied and worked in Delhi before coming to Qatar.
To Amani, AAP’s or its leader Arvind Kejriwal’s victory is not a simple victory of one party over the others. “It is the beginning of a new chapter in the history of Indian democracy which will attract more professionals and educated individuals to electoral politics, who had lost hope due to the pervasive and deep-rooted corruption in the political system. It is the victory of the common man. It’s the victory of principles over propaganda,” said Amani.
Captain Debasish Bhattacharya, who also studied and worked in Delhi for nearly five years, said: “Democracy is a wonderful system. Probably the Indians are realising how powerful voters can be. I would believe and insist that Kejriwal succeed in each word and intention conveyed because the game has changed. Hope quota for jobs and other privileges would be based on economic status, not caste and creed.” Bhattacharya, who also served in the Indian Army for a short stint, added: “I will wait to see the change in the overall mindset of Indians in Delhi and the impossible dream of a corruption-free society coming true.”
Ram Krishna Yadav from the state of Uttar Pradesh said he was supporting AAP because Kejriwal delivered what he promised to the common people during his first stint as chief minister for hardly two months. “The (ruling) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also promised to reduce commodity prices, but the prices are going up every day.”
Mubarak, a Muslim from UP, said, “I am opposing BJP mainly because I feel insecure by the growing communal divide in India.” And Hakeem Ahmed from Kanpur, UP, said, “I am happy that Kejriwal is coming to power. The BJP has not done anything for the people in the nine months since it came to power.” The Peninsula
