A nasty brawl

Fights for political power and control are perhaps unavoidable in competitive politics but mature leaders keep it clean and simple. Saturday's Executive Council meeting showed AAP leaders as a bunch of inexperienced college-level fighters intolerant of a contrarian viewpoint and ready to grab the opponent's collar at the slightest provocation. The show of muscle and lung power by the dominant Kejriwal camp made one thing very clear: AAP is badly in need of grown-ups. If Arvind Kejriwal had the numbers, he could have ensured an orderly meeting where the majority vote would have kicked out the rebels he has come to so despise. Nothing wrong with the top leader showing dissidents their place but the whole exercise could have been less aggressive, less abusive and less ugly. 

In the political storm, overblown by TV channels as usual, it should not be forgotten that both Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan had raised some key issues to which the Delhi Chief Minister's camp has not responded. The duo wanted AAP to come under the RTI Act, its funding to be transparent, candidates clean and functioning democratic, unlike the prevalent high command culture and single-leader dictatorships in other political parties. The Kejriwal camp has projected it as a battle for leadership and control of AAP.

The bitter infighting has stripped the leaders of whatever aura they had and helped people see what they actually are. There may be disappointment among those who idolised the corruption-fighting crusaders taking on the system. One feels sad for idealist youngsters who had left their jobs to chase a dream in the messy political world. There are people who voted for AAP expecting it to provide mature, responsive and graft-free governance. The party may still deliver in Delhi. With a single leader in command, the churning may actually lead to a clearer vision, achievable goals and speedier decisions. It is possible without Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan in the forefront, AAP may emerge stronger. But then it would be a party no different from others. It is a fight between the pragmatists and the idealists.