Five Reasons Why Arvind Kejriwal Should be Given a Second Chance

Come February 7, and all eyes will be glued to the National Capital. Not that prior to February 7, our eyes weren't glued to it. Thanks to the media frenzy around the Delhi Elections, there has not been a minute, in fact, a second, when we had been devoid of any news from the Delhi Elections.

From the day, Arvind Kejriwal stepped down as the Chief Minister of Delhi last year, there wasn't a day when "Who will be the Next CM?" chants weren't pronounced. So much has been the hullaballoo surrounding the Delhi Elections for the past few months, that the only thing our news channels are eating, breathing, sleeping, sneezing - Kejriwal, Bedi, Modi, Congress (to a certain extent). Looking at the way, the three political parties -BJP, Congress and AAP- have left  no stone unturned in mudslinging, I wonder what is going on in the mind of the voters of Delhi. Everyone ofcourse wants a good leader but they hadn't been expecting, or may be they had been, such a series of rallies and campaigns before the elections where more than addressing the needs and requirements of the people, our parties were focused more on who had promised what in the previous elections and what has  been the end result to it. And, if they were left with some time after the ripping apart sessions, they focused on or rather promised things that they claim they would do when they come to power but, which is of course known to the voters, what happens to all the promises post the elections we all know.

I was in Delhi last time when the elections took place. Prior to casting my vote, I was sure that I would be pressing my thumb on NOTA. However, on the day of casting my vote, I thought and realized that 'change is the need of the hour.' I voted for AAP. Quite naturally, I was extremely upset when Kejriwal stepped down, just 49 days after coming into power. I was not the only one who was upset. Every common man, who had voted for Kejriwal, was upset, angry, and at the same time, sorry for him. Every Delhiite knew that Kejriwal's decision might have been at the fit of the moment, but it was also taken due to surmounting pressure from the national parties. Had Kejriwal been from a political family or had he even an iota of experience in politics, he would have known how to handle that situation tactfully. I strongly feel he became a victim of circumstances. Come to think of it, he did flounder at times in the words he spoke, his public rallies and dharnas made him the butt of all jokes. Kejriwal came to be regarded as just another politician in making, who was in no way different from all the previous leaders in power.

I am no political guru or expert in political analysis but here is something I strongly feel and therefore have jotted down in this post. Sitting thousands of kilometres away from Delhi, where my vote too could have made a difference, I write this post citing my FIVE Reasons Why Arvind Kejriwal Should be Given a Second Chance:-

1) Everyone deserves a second chance: As cliche as it may sound, I don't understand why shouldn't he be given another chance. He claims he has realized that stepping down from the CM's position was the worst decision of his life. I am sure, (at least I can think positive), that he has indeed realized his folly and therefore, deserves another chance to prove that he has the willpower in him to bring about the change.

2) He is our choice: Kejriwal's rise to this stature is only because we exhibited our faith in him. He defeated Sheila Dixit in the last elections by a whopping margin. The same Shiela Dixit, who was responsible for changing the face of Delhi in her more than a decade long power. If we thought, Kejriwal could do it then, I am sure, we can pull our faith levels a bit higher and vote for him once more.

3) Not a politician by choice but fate: The political experts might disagree to what I say here but I believe it was not Kejriwal's choice to be a politician. But it was his fate which drove him to this battlefield of politics. Kejriwal had come to limelight to fight for the cause of common people- fight against corruption. It is a completely different thing that he was made to choose the politician's role so that he could fight it out under the same roof as other leaders. So, if he committed a mistake once, by stepping down, why not let him come to power once more, to prove his mettle in front of the so-called established leaders. Why blame Kejriwal alone for all the bashing? He is just another politician.

4) He is a common man: Before being a leader, Kejriwal was nothing but just another man living in the capital doing his own social work. If there is anyone who can work for the cause of common man, who is not scared of being burdened with questions and allegations, who is ready to face whatever the results may hold for him, it is Kejriwal. I am not taking into account his blabber in the media, his allegations or mud slinging at another party person or leaders because as I said earlier, he has been made to speak so just like how our other leaders speak against each other for they have no choice. Bringing each other down prior to an election is a status symbol which our leaders identify themselves pretty well with. The more you bring the other leader down, the better your chances of shining in the eyes of your senior leaders, media as well as your "bhakts".

5) There is life beyond (Modi)fied life: The ruling national party has been riding high on the success of their Prince Charming. But there exists a life beyond that Prince Charming too. Moreover, Prince Charming is now the Prime Minister of a billion plus nation and no longer merely a member of national party or a CM of a state. When the Prince Charming is burdened already with so many responsibilities, it is better he successfully fulfills those than waste his precious time on addressing rallies. For the Prince Charming has reached where he had to, how long will a national party thrive on his fan following? Kejriwal can come as a breath of fresh air in the fiery battle between Congress and BJP. There is much more to our (Modi)fied life. Kejriwal can be that change, we are seeking out.

Secular or not, democratic or not, powerful or not, Kejriwal is the man, whom Delhi needs desperately to bring about a change which probably no other party can bring about now. He is like the fish out of a pond, who needs to be put into a safer haven. His popularity has already given the well established politicians a run for their money, caused them  to sweat it out till the last moment; Kejriwal's rise to power will surely cause several more setbacks to the politicians but will lift the spirits of common man like never before.

The choice is yours. Make sure you cast vote for the candidate you feel is right and not what others had been thinking, feeling or choosing.