Why is Kejriwal always on the warpath?

By Amulya Ganguli Unlike the customer, the voter is not always right. His choice can sometimes be a recipe for disaster. One possibility is that the voters misread a leader's capabilities or offered support because there was no alternative. The first possibility is seemingly responsible for Arvind Kejriwal's election in Delhi. Yet, there have always been doubts about his capabilities not only because he ran away from the battlefield after a 49-day stint in power in 2013-14 but also because his penchant for theatrics rather than for responsible governance has been evident ever since he sat on a "dharna" when he was the chief minister earlier and proudly declaring that he was "an anarchist". Although his first speech as chief minister after assuming office for the second time indicated that he might have matured to some extent since he promised to eschew arrogance and sought the Almighty's blessing to achieve this objective, his innate hauteur soon made itself felt. The result was the hounding out of two leading members of the Aam Admi Party (AAP), Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan, from the party and the unceremonious ouster of the organization's internal Lokpal, Admiral L. Ramdas. Evidently, Kejriwal was clearing the decks for the exercise of untrammelled authority. This desire for silencing all naysayers was also evident in his announcement in favour of the public trial of media personnel who crossed him. It was only a question of time, therefore, before his inborn intolerance found other targets like an IAS officer, whom he publicly accused of being hand in glove with the power companies, and Delhi's Lt Governor Najeeb Jung, who has been charged with being both the Congress and the BJP's stooge at different times. So, why is Kejriwal always on the warpath. Is it a personality kink, similar to the tantrums of a spoilt child? Or, is he driven to take on all and sundry by a sense of insecurity which makes him see conspirators everywhere? Or, does his anarchic instincts make him incapable of accepting the rules and regulations under which he has to work? Whatever the explanation, Kejriwal's conduct on two successive occasions as chief minister has underlined his temperamental inadequacies for high office notwithstanding the faith he inspires among the underprivileged about his anti-corruption credentials. But if he is really fighting for Delhi's full statehood, he has done his own cause a disservice by his querulous behaviour. Kejriwal's irresponsibility is the best reason why the status quo in Delhi should not be disturbed.