By Ikkz Ikbal
There was once a man who promised to cleanse Indian politics. Arvind Kejriwal rose to power as a beacon of hope—a symbol of honesty in a system drowning in corruption. He spoke of change, of a political system where power belonged to the people, not to the rich and powerful. Delhi believed him. India watched in admiration. But today, his story stands as a cautionary tale—a tale of how politics in India crushes idealism, and how those who claim to fight the system often become a part of it.
Kejriwal’s journey began with a promise to the common man. He was a man in a simple muffler, a former bureaucrat who had left his comfortable job to fight corruption. He spoke a language that resonated with the middle class and the poor—words filled with dreams, justice, and the hope of a better tomorrow.
He was not like other politicians. He was not here to make money, he said. He was here to serve. He attacked the high and mighty—calling out corruption in Congress, BJP, and every political heavyweight. He assured people that governance could be clean, that elections could be fought without black money, and that a new India was possible.
But as the years passed, his words lost their weight. His party, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which started as a movement, began behaving like any other political party. The leader who promised transparency now finds himself surrounded by allegations of corruption, illegal funding, and policy manipulation.
To understand Kejriwal’s failure, we need to understand Indian politics. Elections in India are a game of money. A candidate contesting a Lok Sabha seat is estimated to spend around ₹10 crores. A candidate for an MLA seat needs at least ₹5 crores. And running a political party? That costs hundreds of crores.
Where does this money come from? It doesn’t come from ordinary people donating ₹10 and ₹20. It comes from businesses, lobbyists, and funders—many of whom expect something in return. If you don’t have money, you don’t win elections. And if you don’t have power, you become irrelevant.
Kejriwal, like every politician before him, realized this bitter truth. He had two choices—stick to honesty and fade away, or compromise and survive. He chose survival.
The biggest blow to Kejriwal’s image came with the infamous Delhi liquor policy scam. His government allegedly made changes in the excise policy that benefited private liquor companies at the cost of public revenue. The policy was later scrapped, and his ministers, including Manish Sisodia, were arrested in corruption cases.
This was the same Kejriwal who had once said, “I will never tolerate corruption.” The same man who had removed his own ministers at the slightest hint of wrongdoing. Now, he was defending those accused of massive financial irregularities.
This was not just a legal defeat—it was an ideological defeat. It was the moment when the dream of honest politics in India came crashing down.
Kejriwal’s rise to power was built on the idea that politics could be done differently. That a party could win without black money, without muscle power, and without unethical practices. But in the end, he followed the same path as others.
He made alliances with parties he once called corrupt. He accepted donations from sources he once condemned. His government became entangled in controversies he once fought against. And worst of all, he stopped answering questions. The man who once demanded accountability from everyone suddenly became silent when his own government was under scrutiny.
It is a painful reality. Many Indians genuinely believed Kejriwal would be different. That he would not compromise. That he would stand by his principles, no matter what. But today, that belief stands shattered.
The AAP’s defeat in Delhi is not just a political setback—it is the death of an idea. The idea that a party can stay honest and still survive in Indian politics.
Kejriwal’s journey should be a lesson for every Indian. It should teach us that politics is not just about words and promises—it is about the brutal realities of power and money. It should teach us that honesty in politics is not impossible, but it is nearly unsustainable.
And most importantly, it should make us question—was Kejriwal ever really different? Or was he just another politician who knew exactly what people wanted to hear?
In the end, the dream of a corruption-free India remains just that—a dream. And as for Kejriwal, history will remember him not as the man who changed politics, but as the man who proved, once again, that in India, politics and purity cannot go hand in hand.
Views expressed in the article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the editorial stance of Kashmir Observer
The author has a PG in Biotechnology and is Administrator at Maryam Memorial Institute, Pandithpora Qaziabad. He tweets @IkkzIkbal
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