‘Subsidise Whom: Aam Aadmi Or Big Corporates? What's Better Economics?'

‘Subsidise Whom: Aam Aadmi Or Big Corporates? What’s Better Economics?’

Sitting in his modest living room—tastefully furnished in hues of gentle blues—Arvind Kejriwal looks calm as he gets ready to face the voters of Delhi again. Dressed in his trademark V-neck navy blue pullover, he retains the distinct ‘aam aadmi’ aura even after five eventful years as chief minister. In an exclusive interview to Bhavna Vij-Aurora and Preetha Nair, the Delhi CM says he is happy that he managed to change the political discourse in the national capital. Excerpts:

Your term as the CM is coming to an end. Do you think you have managed to deliver on your promises?

We came into politics to work for the people and change the political discourse. Three things have happened in these five years. One, we have proved that governments can be run with honesty. Two, elections can also be fought honestly. Lastly, we have shown change is possible. We have accomplished things that were not done in 70 years. No government before us tried to improve the condition of schools or hospitals. No government made electricity cheaper and ensured its 24-hour supply. Either they didn’t know how to do it or they did not intend to. It suited them to keep the country backward, poor and uneducated. We have also managed to change the political discourse to a large extent. In Haryana, the BJP fights elections on the Jat/ non-Jat plank. In Maharashtra, it’s the Maratha/ non-Maratha plank, and in Gujarat, Patel vs non-Patel. Elsewhere, it’s Hindu vs Muslim. In Delhi, though, the same BJP is forced to talk about bijli-paani, unauthorised colonies, schools and hospitals. The electoral discourse has shifted to performance. People are talking about the work done by our government. So the BJP has no option. This is a big change in a country where politics is still largely based on caste and religion. For the first time, development is the issue.