Aam Aadmi Party crossed the most critical hurdle in government formation as chief minister Arvind Kejriwal won a vote of confidence in the Delhi assembly, backed by seven Congress members, one JD (U) MLA and an independent. Together, with AAP’s 28 members, they crossed the magic figure of 36 needed for a majority in the 70-member house.
Describing this as a vote for the aam aadmi’s aspiration for corruption-free governance, Kejriwal used the occasion, covered live by TV channels, to set the tone for the Lok Sabha elections, making the ending of “brasht rajneeti” his goal en route to swaraj (self rule).
Listing his priorities, the 45-year old CM said, “Facililites like education, roads, sanitation and service delivery are bad because of corruption. We want to clean up the system. If you agree with the common man’s aspirations, vote for us.”
BJP, the single-largest party with 32 members (including an Akali Dal MLA), voted against the confidence motion, rejecting the AAP ideology as rhetoric in the name of the aam aadmi. Its leaders said AAP’s decision to take “outside support” from Congress was a reflection of double standards.
The Congress said its support to AAP was performance-based, and could even last five years. ‘ANYONE AAP believes the middle class is part of aam aadmi, anyone tired of this corrupt system is aam aadmi
Anyone found corrupt, be it in last 15 yrs of Congress govt or MCDs or our own govt, we’ll take stringent action against them
For the first time, most TV news channels, both Hindi and English, showed live proceedings of the Delhi assembly on Thursday. It was evident they had gauged the public mood and decided that there was nationwide interest in CM Arvind Kejriwal and the way the trust vote turned out.
The confidence vote was preceded by an over four-hour long debate on the trust vote, during which BJP and Congress MLAs did their best to make light of the AAP ideology, attacking it, using sarcasm and resorting to emotive speeches to cow down the 28 debutant AAP MLAs. But the histrionics of the opposition failed to stir a composed AAP government, which sat through the attacks quietly on the ruling party benches.
Dressed in his characteristic grey trousers, sweater and grey muffler, Kejirwal spoke during the debate in the conversational style that has become so familiar, but made telling points. He rose to announce that this vote of confidence would be a vote for the aspirations for the “aam admi”. He promised a crackdown on corruption across party lines, a Lokayukta with teeth and the dream of “swaraj” to a population that has tied its hopes to Kejirwal for systemic reform and a clean-up. “Corruption has been raised by MLAs across party lines. I want to assure you no one will be spared whether it is in 15 years of Congress rule, the BJP in MCD, or our own government,” he said.
“Who is the aam admi? The man who lives in a night shelter, a small time vendor selling food by the streets or tea from a stall is certainly an aam admi. It seems that the BJP doesn’t think so. AAP believes that the middle class and every person who wants an honest existence, irrespective of whether he lives in Greater Kailash or an unauthorized colony, is also aam admi,” Kejriwal said.
“I am not against any party. Neither am I here to make or break governments. Who are we? The 28 people sitting here,” Kejriwal asked the House. In an emotionally charged voice, he turned around to point at his MLAs saying, “I must tell you the plight of the common man. She is Vandana, a housewife. This is Akhilesh, a young man who was preparing for civil services and now sits before you. At the back there is Dharmendra Koli, whose sister Santosh was murdered. Who are these people and why are they here? This House will have to think about this. It is because the system has failed the common man and corruption in politics a reality that haunts us that we have stepped in to fight corruption.”
“So, when you vote, please remember it will be a vote for the common man. If you are in favour of three things that affect the common man, then vote for us. Do you want to end corruption in Delhi? Do you want to pave the way to end corruption in politics?”
Kejriwal listed out his agenda point by point, seeking support from the House on 17 issues from the AAP manifesto — end of VIP Raj, a strong Lokayukta, action against the corrupt and end of corruption in politics, a citizens charter for time-bound service delivery and Swaraj, full statehood, reduction in water and electricity tariff, CAG audit of discoms, stabilization of water bills, regularization of unauthorized colonies, rehabilitation of JJ clusters, regularization of contract labour and a free and fair environment for trade minus FDI. He also promised better education infrastructure, empowerment for Delhi's farmers and extension of lal dora in villages, and women’s safety with fast tracking of cases linked to violence against women.
Earlier, Manish Sisodia proposed the trust vote on the floor of the assembly shortly after the House assembled at 2 pm. He said the assembly results had given AAP a mandate to form a minority government — a decision that AAP had taken on “moral grounds” based on the referendum in which the people expressed the view that AAP must form government with “outside support” from Congress.
Describing this as a vote for the aam aadmi’s aspiration for corruption-free governance, Kejriwal used the occasion, covered live by TV channels, to set the tone for the Lok Sabha elections, making the ending of “brasht rajneeti” his goal en route to swaraj (self rule).
Listing his priorities, the 45-year old CM said, “Facililites like education, roads, sanitation and service delivery are bad because of corruption. We want to clean up the system. If you agree with the common man’s aspirations, vote for us.”
BJP, the single-largest party with 32 members (including an Akali Dal MLA), voted against the confidence motion, rejecting the AAP ideology as rhetoric in the name of the aam aadmi. Its leaders said AAP’s decision to take “outside support” from Congress was a reflection of double standards.
The Congress said its support to AAP was performance-based, and could even last five years. ‘ANYONE AAP believes the middle class is part of aam aadmi, anyone tired of this corrupt system is aam aadmi
Anyone found corrupt, be it in last 15 yrs of Congress govt or MCDs or our own govt, we’ll take stringent action against them
For the first time, most TV news channels, both Hindi and English, showed live proceedings of the Delhi assembly on Thursday. It was evident they had gauged the public mood and decided that there was nationwide interest in CM Arvind Kejriwal and the way the trust vote turned out.
The confidence vote was preceded by an over four-hour long debate on the trust vote, during which BJP and Congress MLAs did their best to make light of the AAP ideology, attacking it, using sarcasm and resorting to emotive speeches to cow down the 28 debutant AAP MLAs. But the histrionics of the opposition failed to stir a composed AAP government, which sat through the attacks quietly on the ruling party benches.
Dressed in his characteristic grey trousers, sweater and grey muffler, Kejirwal spoke during the debate in the conversational style that has become so familiar, but made telling points. He rose to announce that this vote of confidence would be a vote for the aspirations for the “aam admi”. He promised a crackdown on corruption across party lines, a Lokayukta with teeth and the dream of “swaraj” to a population that has tied its hopes to Kejirwal for systemic reform and a clean-up. “Corruption has been raised by MLAs across party lines. I want to assure you no one will be spared whether it is in 15 years of Congress rule, the BJP in MCD, or our own government,” he said.
“Who is the aam admi? The man who lives in a night shelter, a small time vendor selling food by the streets or tea from a stall is certainly an aam admi. It seems that the BJP doesn’t think so. AAP believes that the middle class and every person who wants an honest existence, irrespective of whether he lives in Greater Kailash or an unauthorized colony, is also aam admi,” Kejriwal said.
“I am not against any party. Neither am I here to make or break governments. Who are we? The 28 people sitting here,” Kejriwal asked the House. In an emotionally charged voice, he turned around to point at his MLAs saying, “I must tell you the plight of the common man. She is Vandana, a housewife. This is Akhilesh, a young man who was preparing for civil services and now sits before you. At the back there is Dharmendra Koli, whose sister Santosh was murdered. Who are these people and why are they here? This House will have to think about this. It is because the system has failed the common man and corruption in politics a reality that haunts us that we have stepped in to fight corruption.”
“So, when you vote, please remember it will be a vote for the common man. If you are in favour of three things that affect the common man, then vote for us. Do you want to end corruption in Delhi? Do you want to pave the way to end corruption in politics?”
Kejriwal listed out his agenda point by point, seeking support from the House on 17 issues from the AAP manifesto — end of VIP Raj, a strong Lokayukta, action against the corrupt and end of corruption in politics, a citizens charter for time-bound service delivery and Swaraj, full statehood, reduction in water and electricity tariff, CAG audit of discoms, stabilization of water bills, regularization of unauthorized colonies, rehabilitation of JJ clusters, regularization of contract labour and a free and fair environment for trade minus FDI. He also promised better education infrastructure, empowerment for Delhi's farmers and extension of lal dora in villages, and women’s safety with fast tracking of cases linked to violence against women.
Earlier, Manish Sisodia proposed the trust vote on the floor of the assembly shortly after the House assembled at 2 pm. He said the assembly results had given AAP a mandate to form a minority government — a decision that AAP had taken on “moral grounds” based on the referendum in which the people expressed the view that AAP must form government with “outside support” from Congress.
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