From the Gandhi topis to the profuse use of the words 'aam aadmi' in every sentence they utter, Arvind Kejriwal's AAP leaders have laboriously tried to sound like carbon copies of each other in its short existence. However, with the party coming to power in Delhi, slowly, it is starting to sound more like a political party, as opposed to a students' movement where every participant says the same things in shrill, fervent tones. Given that the power dynamics of the party were fraught with problems right at its inception, it was just a matter of time before differences in opinions started surfacing. When Arvind Kejriwal and his band of supporters moved away from the power centre that was Anna Hazare in the anti-corruption stir, the founding leaders of the AAP came across as one nucleus, out to chart its own course.
And soon after, possibly because Kejriwal was the relentless voice of them all and was also more visible to people thanks to his fasting stint with Anna, he emerged as the most recognised, media-savvy leader who could be the face of the Aam Aadmi Party. However, while Kejriwal's role in the party can not be undermined, it is true that the logistics of running a political party demands physical and intellectual inputs from more than just one person. While Kejriwal has never visibly tried to eclipse the public life of most of his close coterie of leaders, the latter have always routinely echoed what he had had to say on most issues. Except for Prashant Bhushan.
Prashant Bhushan. Reuters.
A Supreme Court lawyer by profession, Bhushan was actively involved in the foundation building exercises of the AAP. One will recollect when AAP, led by Kejriwal, went on an 'expose' spree to herald its entry into politics, Bhushan was almost always the one fielding questions from the media alongside Kejriwal. From details about Nitin Gadkari's Purti Group to Robert Vadra's land deals, Bhushan was a prominent presence in all the public announcements of the AAP in its nascent stages. From giving out details of alleged scams, to appearing in television shows to counter the political bigwigs ranting about a new kid on the block, to following up the issues, Bhushan was the face of the AAP's activism days. In fact, the continuous string of exposes by the party led the Congress and BJP to turn the heat on Bhushan and accuse him of indulging in a shady land deal in his hometown in Himachal Pradesh.
However, with the party's upward swing in the political landscape of the country, Bhushan, a member of the national executive of the party, seemed to take a step back from the limelight. Around the same time, some of his opinions on important national issues, failed to resonate with the rest of the party.
Right after the elections, while speculations were rife that AAP will seek the support of either the Congress or the BJP, AAP leaders put up a stoic face and went on a rumour rejection trip. However, it was reported that Bhushan had told the media that if the BJP meets AAP's conditions, the party was willing to support BJP. As the news leaked out, Arvind Kejriwal immediately announced that he didn't endorse Bhushan's view. In fact, he dismissed what Bhushan said that the latter's personal opinion. More recently, Bhushan declared that there should be a referendum on the Kashmir issue. As the BJP pounced on the opportunity declaring Bhushan anti-national, Kejriwal, once again distanced himself from the comment conveying that Bhushan's view was not essentially the party's view.
While it is completely understandable if two members of a political party have conflicting views on the same subject, the problem with AAP is, unlike say a Congress, it cannot afford to have a leader on the lines of Digvijaya Singh, whose hurried comments the party is left covering up for. It is possibly true that leaders expressing contrary opinions within a party helps a party, especially a young one like AAP, develop its politics and deepen its impact. At the same time, however, the party can't falter on its public relations strategies. In fact, it is no short of surprising that a party like AAP, with a strong social media back-up has had to face up to public relations faux pas like the recent Kejriwal, Bhushan disagreement.
Because like the BJP made evident this time, any small difference in opinion within the AAP will be played up by the Opposition to hint at an unstable party and hence an equally unreliable government. With the AAP facing a fair share of apprehension about its policies and its efficacy, it is probably better advised to decide on a bunch of spokerpersons who speak to the media after an internal consultation.
It is important to note here that following the AAP's win, while leaders like Yogendra Yadav have been constantly seen making media appearances, with members like Kumar Vishwas stepping in, in his absence, Bhushan seems to be on a media hiatus. With the odds facing the AAP stacking up, it is probably high time the AAP come up with a strong public relations policy that will save the party further embarrassment.
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