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Our driver confessed that he voted for Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) all the three elections and was more than delighted with the latest landslide. He was happy that AAP in its previous 49-day stint had won them the right to await fares on the road side. “They used to let cars park wherever they want. But we three wheelers would be issued challans. AAP stopped it that was big relief,” he said proudly wearing the ubiquitous AAP topi.
Small things that touched the lives of the Aam Aadmi played their part in the unprecedented victory that led Arvind Kejriwal back to the Ramlila Maidan, exactly a year after he relinquished the post. “Valentine Returns to Ramlila Maidan,” a headline screamed in the Navodaya Times newspaper, which was being distributed at the venue by AAP volunteers.
The road on the South of the maidan, where the gates for public and media opened up, was a riot of colours. It could have been a cricket crowd. Only this one had brooms, instead of bats and balls. Brooms of all sizes and types: Small Brooms in the hats, Big Brooms as headgears and brooms as other accessories. Cameramen and TV reporters were hunting sound bytes from these colourful AAP supporters.
Public started filing in as early as 10:30 AM, a good 90 minutes ahead of the noon time date with their favourite leaders. If there was one spoiler, it was the Sun god. The rising temperature pushed many who had come in their sweaters and winter clothes squirming in their seats. The Navodaya Times distributed earlier doubled up as sunshades. Even the chief minister, who had arrived at the venue with his iconic muffler on, had to take it off and ask for the AAP topi disappointing many mufflerman fans.
But, he more than made it up with a speech laced with self-depracating humility, peppered with trademark barbs at opponents and warning for anyone who plans to come in the way of a brastachar-mukt Delhi. The speech had something for everyone as he thanked all religions, all communities and all income groups that voted for him.
The considerable crowd of Muslims, many of them residents of nearby Old Delhi, reserved their loudest cheers for swearing in of Asim Ahmed Khan. An old Muslim couple came with Party poppers, which they popped when the chief minister took oath. Others were busy explaining to fellow partymen annoyed by the Shenai that was playing on the loud speakers was not a “sad music” but was an auspicious one played in Islamic weddings.
Kejriwal’s singing of a patriotic song probably wiped off the little grievance of non-Shenai connoisseurs.
When the mood was of a wedding, food could not have been far away. Vadas, Kebabs, Biryani, Chowmein – you name it you had it as the crowd started walking out around lunch time. I missed it but one reported even tweeted off an exotic kiwi fruit salad.
As one walked off, a foreigner was busy capturing the song and dance of a group which had converted an auto rickshaw into an ‘AAPMobile’ complete with flags, brooms and other AAP aficionados. A little mob was dancing to ‘Paanch Saal Kejriwal’ for the camera. On top of the AAPMobile was a little girl in AAP colours. She held a placard that said “Khaas Aadmi ka PM; Aam Aadmi ka CM.”
