Arvind Kejriwal, the leader of Aam Aadmi Party, will take the Metro to reach Ramlila Maidan to take oath as Delhi’s chief minister today. After denouncing the lal batti cars and government accommodation, our future CM is starting his tenure with an austerity drive. Though the leader is going all out to prove how he himself is an aam aadmi, the testing times ahead will prove his worth, feel Delhiites, who are welcoming the winds of change.
Banker Sumedha Shah is quite excited to see a “genuine” CM for once. “I guess we are close to getting our ideal chief minister. Kejriwal is unlike any other political leader. He is simple, approachable, has a clean image and is a man with brains. All his points in the manifesto prove that he genuinely wants to work for the betterment of our city. Even his team consists of people who come from the grassroot level and know the actual problems the middle-class face. Therefore, they would know well what problems they should be addressing. He is not like the seasoned politicians who are seen with folded hands only at the time of elections. He is a people’s man, who lives and breathes amidst us,” says Sumedha.
Sharing her opinion, writer Advaita Kala says Kejriwal is all set for a tough fight. “Arvind Kejriwal is not just a leader, he is a man that people of Delhi have voted for. He brings a hope of change and the fact that his 13-month-old party routed out Congress is an achievement in itself. And now I hope that Kejriwal stands by his promises. Though many things in his manifesto are hard to achieve and his rivals are waiting for him to fail, Kejriwal will have to work in really high-pressure zone. What I expect from him is that he will take women’s safety issues seriously. Our former chief minister lost out on female voters only because she showed an indifferent attitude towards the issue. Plus, I expect him to have enough female representation in his cabinet. He has taken some progressive steps towards his promises and I applaud the fact that he has said no to a government bungalow and the lal batti culture, I just wish he shows enough diversity in his core team and gets the best women for the job,” she shares.
A loyal supporter of Kejriwal’s rival party, student Hansika Lohani is doubtful about the new leader’s capabilities. “Though Arvind Kejriwal is a clean leader, I feel he is not fit to lead the city. His major drawback is his lack of experience. All the members in his team are new to politics and they will have to start from scratch. Being an honest income-tax officer does not make him a sound politician. I am with him in his India against corruption moments, but I am not with him when he says he can run the country,” says Hansika.
Businessman Rishi Bhalla talks about the practicality of Kejriwal’s promises. “Arvind Kejriwal has an advantage over others as people have faith in him. The fact that he is a clean leader, has great oratory skills and has made great promises is going to work in his favour. However, what remains to be seen is how he is going to fulfill those promises. There is still this fear about his coalition government, tall promises on water, electricity and Lokpal, as some of them are far removed from practicality, but I am eager to see him perform. Though his ride is going to be full of potholes, I hope he performs well,” he says.
Marketing professional Anadita Singh expects the new CM to stay true to his image. “My biggest expectation from him is that he does not become corrupt himself once he holds the reins of power. I have no problem seeing him become the next chief minister of Delhi, as long as he is loyal to what he has proposed,” she ends.
