Muhammad Quamrul Islam :
Bangladesh national dailies carried the important news of victory of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Chief Minister(CM) Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi state assembly election for the third term defeating Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. This is the strength and beauty of uninterrupted democracy in India since partition 1947, an eye opener to the next door neighbors as well. It is thru joining a strong social movement for Lokpal Bill only a few years back he came to the scene at young age leaving his post of officer under the Revenue Dept. of the Government. Treading this course he felt the necessity to establish a new political party that led him to organize Aam Aadmi Party in cooperation with all concerned that he received.
AAP won sweeping victory in Delhi state assembly elections 2020 on February 11, 2020. Out of total 70 assembly seats AAP won 62 seats and BJP got 8 seats. It is 5 seats more for BJP than last time. Congress got no seat. After victory, Kejriwal said this victory is the victory of people. People voted keeping confidence in works, which ushered new political age. He thanked Delhi dwellers.
It has been observed, the way BJP wanted to push this election to communal polarization did not succeed. Voters have opted for education, health, electricity or development programs finally. Why this damn defeat of BJP in Delhi and its far reaching consequences cannot be ignored but delved deeply. As a matter of fact, BJP won all seven seats of Delhi in Lok Sabha election, only seven-eight months back. It has been reversed in state assembly election by crushing 90% seats won by AAP. It is apparent from election Government of Kejriwal left prints in the minds of Delhi people by introducing community based clinic, improved school management, free supply of water and arranging free transport to girls.
It became a big issue in Delhi election that Muslim Women protested against Citizenship Amendment Act CAA at Shahinbag in Delhi. The top leaders of BJP left no stone unturned to divide Hindu-Muslim using the difficulties faced by Delhi dwellers for blockade of road. AAP leader Amanatullah Khan won by record difference from Okhla center situated in Shahinbag has said, attempts to spread hatred has been defeated, development won. He could win with big margin because Hindu voters also voted for him; he added that can be easily understood.
BJP mouth piece Bibek Reddy however tried to justify their stand. Shiv Sena leader Priyanka Chaturbedi felt otherwise, Delhi election has proved people will not hesitate to select better alternative available than BJP. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and others have congratulated Arvind Kejriwal for hat trick return to power.
West Bengal Chief Minister has said this spectacular success of AAP is the victory of democracy. This verdict is the rejection of narrow politics and divisive politics. She has good relation with Kejriwal, who sees her even when she goes to Delhi, he comes to her house. She and her colleagues are very happy; people have won obviating so much religion blindness and narrow politics. Mamata has said people have rejected BJP, does not like their works. People want development, food instead of spreading rumors. People do not support CAA, which cannot be driven here. Only development will be criterion.
It would not be out of place to mention, as we have best relations between Delhi and Dhaka, the state of affairs obtaining in Bangladesh with 40+parties registered with Election Commission but actually two parties Awami League and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and others have no vote base. They try to get support of anyone of the two as per convenience of each present show of multi-party at home and abroad for personal aggrandizement. Except traditional Awami League these are post Bangladesh parties registered by one eleven non-party Caretaker Government backed by Army 2007 &2008 as the other traditional National Awami Party (NAP) founded by Bhashani in 1957 splintered away or its leaders joined power based new parties and main stream NAP no more in existence after its reorganized Committee defunct on November17, 2006.
Of course, twisting the name of NAP or Bhashani followers there are various outfits seen in media press releases and seminars attended by University National Professor in Dhaka for selfish aggrandizements. Apart from this, Bhashani Foundation and International Farakka Committee in USA, contemporaries opine from experience. Last politicaleffort to reorganize NAP in the national representative conference was held at the auditorium of National Press Club, Dhaka on August 31, 1990 where surviving elder leaders were present. The conference elected national committee with Barrister Abdul Haq, a founding member of NAP in 1957 and its Parliamentary party leader as President, elderly politician and journalist Mahmud Alam Khan (Moko) General Secretary, and brought in an Economist, Finance Director aged 46 under Government aligned to politics in family line as Presidium Member. It approved program of democracy, ending teacher-students partisan politics, good governance and welfare of the people. As all efforts to unify all fractions of NAP went in vain for obvious reasons, it was defunct on November 17, 2006.
At the end, it’s a ray of hope Honorable President and Chancellor of Universities Md. Abdul Hamid has called in every occasion to raise academic atmosphere, improve quality of education and morality. It led to DUCSU election, which should also be in all universities countrywide. Bangabandhu’s daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is successfully plying her Boat in the adverse conditions towards democracy and development. She introduced party wise local government elections, so that parties may come up thru democratic culture, as in neighboring country. But it is seen candidates are willing to be rival within any one of two main parties than to seek nomination of any other! Shouldn’t small parties be ashamed?
(Muhammad Quamrul Islam, writer is an economist, advocate and columnist)
