Arvind Kejriwal: The politically challenged activist: Article in India Today

He ideated with us earlier as a speaker at two conclaves. This year, we will debate activism and politics with him as the former chief minister of Delhi.

Arvind Kejriwal is a man of many definitions, depending on who you are discussing him with.

He has been the centre of drawing room conversations, the hero of mohalla huddles; he even features in overseas calls from relatives. He is the aam aadmi who dominated media, swaying opinion from one side to another, in his less than 50 days of governing Delhi.

The former Chief Minister of Delhi has carved out a niche for himself with his ballistic anti- corruption campaigns, giving voice and nerve to the latent anti- incumbency sentiment of the common man on the street.

Kejriwal, who graduated from the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, left the Indian Revenue Service to plunge into the thick of activism, going on to spearhead campaigns like the implementation of the Right to Information ( RTI) Act at grassroots level and draft the proposed Jan Lokpal Bill.

He shot into prominence as a part of Team Anna and moved on to lay the foundation of the Aam Aadmi Party. In public life, he is more of an oxymoron as a politician- activist and his stint as chief minister was an attempt at governance through activism that finally cost him his position within 49 days of assuming charge.

Dressed in his trademark grey trousers and a navy blue sweater, with a muffler wrapped around his neck, Kejriwal is an icon in search of a clear identity.

He rides a blue WagonR, donated to AAP by one of his supporters. But his furious aspiration to drive India into the corruption- free zone sure is a bumpy ride through the corridors of the rich and the mighty. Will the exit door to the Delhi Assembly lead to the entry into Lok Sabha? One can only wait and watch.

 

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