Has a leader of a ruling party ever been able to convince voters that he is not responsible for any of the wrongs during his tenure?

I think Arvind Kejriwal might be the only leader to achieve this feat!

You could look back to 2013 and onward, from the time we first came to know about him, and try to find one instance where he was held accountable for anything. Anyone but him has been blamed for whatever went wrong in Delhi.

The question isn’t why he did what he did. It’s straightforward: there can’t be a better environment for a politician than one where he cannot be held accountable. The real question is, “What did he do to create such an environment?”

Do you listen carefully to fitness tips from a gym-goer with visible six-packs? Why do kids buy cricket bats with the MRF logo? It’s because buyers want to emulate the person endorsing the product. Every young cricket player wants to be Sachin Tendulkar, so they buy bats with the MRF logo, even though the logo itself has nothing to do with cricket. Every gym-goer wants to be like the guy with six-packs, so they listen to him, even if the tips are nonsense. A successful salesman sells himself before selling the product. Have you ever seen a dark-skinned person promoting fairness cream or an overweight person promoting a gym?

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In the case of Arvind Kejriwal, we bought into his image even before he started pitching his ideas, thanks to his superb credentials. We want to be like him. Everyone aspires to graduate from an elite institution. Engineering aspirants dream of getting into IIT. Half the crowd would do anything to crack civil services, while the other half dreams of marrying a civil servant. Kejriwal comes from a middle-class family and has a life that mirrors our aspirations: a successful career, a stable marriage, and two kids. So when he started talking, we listened, believed, and bought whatever he had to sell.

Even though a salesman and a conman can look and act alike, there’s a crucial difference: a successful salesman sells what’s best for the customer, while a conman sells what’s best for himself.

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Kejriwal sold the concept that “we, the common people of India, are capable of understanding the intricacies of the system.” He claimed that we could independently determine who or which department is at fault, and we believed him.

He created a Bermuda Triangle-like situation in Delhi, with the AAP, MCD, and the LG as the three vertices. People ran from one point to another, disoriented by the confusion. The issues disappeared in this endless loop of blame-shifting.

We justified his resignation after just 49 days, believing that Congress wasn’t letting him work. The Jan Lokpal movement quietly died. Yet, people voted him back to power with an overwhelming majority—67 out of 70 seats. Little did they know they’d be hearing the same rhetoric, except this time, the blame would be on the BJP.

Who should take ownership of the fire in an illegal factory that killed over 45 people a few months ago? In any other state, be it Congress or BJP-ruled, people would point fingers directly at the head of the state. But in Delhi, the conversation became about which department was at fault: Was it the electricity department? The fire department? Was it in a residential colony? The finger-pointing went on endlessly.

This isn’t an isolated instance. Kejriwal kept blaming the LG for obstructing his work. Almost every week, he’d be out protesting on the streets, claiming the LG wouldn’t let him function. It was a surreal sight—a government with an absolute majority protesting against its inability to govern. By 2016, Kejriwal had become one of the most disliked figures in India. But this consistent strategy engraved the blame triangle into voters’ minds. The narrative shifted from asking whether the AAP was working to questioning if the LG, BJP, or MCD were preventing them from working.

Take Delhi’s pollution crisis as another example. Why is Delhi so polluted? Because neighboring states burn crop residue or because of firecrackers on Diwali, we’re told. Really?

Also read: How does breathing in Delhi feel like?

In 2020, riots engulfed parts of Delhi, resulting in tragic loss of life, numerous injuries, and widespread destruction. Properties were set ablaze, and large caches of stones and weapons were discovered on rooftops. Former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Tahir Hussain was arrested in connection with the violence. He faced multiple charges, including murder, rioting, and conspiracy, particularly regarding the death of Intelligence Bureau staffer Ankit Sharma. Hussain was accused of facilitating attacks from his property, where weapons and projectiles were allegedly stockpiled. Following these allegations, he was expelled from the AAP. However, by December 2024, Hussain resurfaced in politics by joining the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and was declared their candidate for the Mustafabad Assembly constituency in the upcoming Delhi elections. Despite these events, the question remains: Did Kejriwal face any scrutiny or accountability for the riots?

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On election day, voters weren’t asking, “Did the government fix our issues?” Instead, they asked, “Did someone not let them work?” People knew little had been accomplished: pollution remained high, the Yamuna was still dirty, electric bus infrastructure was missing, CCTV cameras for security were absent, and 500 promised government schools hadn’t been built. Despite this, voters cast their ballots based on who they thought was obstructing progress. Some who couldn’t figure it out simply didn’t vote, contributing to a low turnout. Others voted for freebies, while a significant portion of the Muslim community shifted their support from Congress to AAP.

AAP didn’t win based on its performance over five years. The same pattern will likely repeat unless voters stop trying to dissect the system and start holding leaders accountable. The system is incredibly complex, but that doesn’t mean politicians shouldn’t be questioned. Understanding the system may not be easy, but we can still read. Have you read the report on the number of files the LG’s office rejected? It’s worth a read because you’ll understand why the LG disapproved of many proposals (hint: AAP’s ad policies). For example, the LG refused to approve a 100-crore proposal for large public displays that were supposedly for “natural calamity information.” In reality, they would have likely been used for political advertising. The LG wasn’t fooled. Similarly, opening Mohalla Clinics in schools was a strategic move to influence parents through their children. Kejriwal, who used his own children to reach the CM’s chair, wouldn’t hesitate to manipulate others’ children.

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Ultimately, governance is about delivering results and taking responsibility for both success and failure. Blame-shifting may temporarily deflect accountability, but it does not address real issues like pollution, infrastructure, or public safety. Delhi’s voters, much like citizens elsewhere, must demand transparency and tangible outcomes from their leaders. Whether it is Kejriwal or any other political figure, the onus lies on the electorate to critically assess promises, challenge excuses, and ensure that those in power are held accountable for their actions and inactions. Without this shift in mindset, cycles of poor governance and political blame games are destined to repeat.

Thanks for reading! Have a nice week ahead.

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