Free services can end up as ‘no services’

The Aam Aadmi Party must backtrack from populist promises made during the election campaign that are bound not to be fulfilled

PROMISES TO KEEP: “The Aam Aadmi Party’s economic agenda smacks of populism, not hard core development.” Picture shows AAP workers campaigning for the party in New Delhi before the Assembly elections.

Having decimated the Congress and “thumped” the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) now faces the danger of repeating its past debacle. Will it squander away this second opportunity to govern by not using this victory to move on to a sensible development agenda that benefits the people of Delhi, particularly the poor? What should that agenda be?

But first let us consider the lessons for the Congress and the BJP from the poll debacle. The Congress, unfortunately since receiving its first devastating blow in the Lok Sabha elections eight months ago, and suffering the succession of losses in several State elections, has shown no ability for introspection. It continues to be attached inextricably to the Nehru-Gandhi family and has been unable or unwilling to break that cord. It has been satisfied with romantically looking back at Indira Gandhi’s come back after her resounding defeat, hoping that the same will happen now. This is a pious hope, not likely to be fulfilled any time soon. The only graceful thing to do seems to be to give it an honourable burial.

Lessons for BJP

The BJP too needs serious introspection, something it has the ability to do based on its past record. It was wise during the national elections to jettison its Hindutva agenda in favour of a development agenda and the people rewarded it handsomely. But along the way, it seems to have lost its focus. It would be wise to not take a hands-off approach to attempts by many of its cadres to reverse this achievement. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence on the issue may have reminded people in Delhi of this ghost in the BJP’s closet. The BJP also committed a blunder by pursuing a personality cult-based election campaign rather than focusing on bread and butter issues and matters of governance that it fought the national election on. Delhiites are more enamoured with the prospect of getting day-to-day necessities and services efficiently without paying bribes than a grand national development vision articulated by leaders. The BJP failed to distinguish between a national agenda and one for a cross between a Municipality and a State.

The people of Delhi also did not buy into allegations of corruption, which the BJP levelled against the AAP. Of all the reasons one may criticise AAP for, corruption surely cannot be one of them. In fact, one has to credit the AAP with placing corruption on the election agenda. Going forward, the BJP needs to cooperate with the AAP in implementing the governance agenda on which both parties have much in common.

What AAP should do

The AAP, on its part, should learn from its previous 49-day experience and show the people of Delhi (and indeed India) that it can not only just win elections but it can govern as well. It should continue to focus on its governance agenda where it has been clear in its promises and enjoys widespread support among the people. It should reinforce its administrative acumen, which was so evident last time around, with outside expertise. But it should also be clear that good governance means ensuring the rule of law. It should avoid high-handed incidents such as the midnight raid carried out by one of its ministers in Malviya Nagar, targeting African immigrants. It should also avoid arbitrary measures to order audits of companies outside of its regulatory framework. The temptation to eradicate corruption and immorality through such measures does not bode well for good governance.

“ A sharp and sustained focus on improving governance is the best way to ensure a better quality of life for everyone in Delhi, for which the AAP should work constructively with the Centre ”

The AAP’s economic agenda smacks of populism, not hard core development. One hopes that it realises soon enough that it is no God to give free goods and services to the people. It must backtrack from its populist promises made during the campaign that are bound to not be fulfilled. What the poor in Delhi need is not free water but the availability of such services at a reasonable price. People will know before too long that their promises of free services invariably mean “no services”.

We hope that AAP discovers that a sharp and sustained focus on improving governance is the best way to ensure a better quality of life for everyone in Delhi. It should work constructively with the BJP at the Centre on this point and the aspiration of Delhiites that their city becomes a Singapore may soon be within reach. This provided that the BJP Prime Minister and the AAP Chief Minister work together in a win-win mode. Modi for PM and Arvind Kejriwal for CM will then no longer be a mere slogan. Both the BJP and the AAP would do well to envision what they would like Delhi to look like five years from now and build a win-win development partnership for this purpose.

(J. Shivakumar and Inder Sud specialise in development policy and are advisers to a number of governments and international development organisations. They previously served as Directors in the World Bank.)