8 reasons why Delhi loves Arvind Kejriwal

#1 The voice of “common people”
He is the voice of the people- the voice that they wanted to be heard. The issues he has raised against the powers are much appreciated by the people. Plus, the hopes he has been able to garner by the glimpse of his work on his 49 days of rule is the most important factor why he is loved by the masses. There is a hope in every person that he will work for the betterment of the state.

#2 He beat a three-time Delhi chief minister
In New Delhi’s 2013 state elections, Mr. Kejriwal and his Aam Admi Party came to power after a campaign promising to take on graft. Mr. Kejriwal stood against a congress rival Sheila Dixit, a three-time Delhi chief minister, and defeated her, who was blamed as a corrupt politician and people were no longer in her favour her after 15 years of rule.

#3 As chief minister, he protested on the streets
New Delhi came to a standstill early last year when Mr. Kejriwal– by then, Delhi’s chief minister– staged a protest in the heart of the city. He was perhaps the first chief minister to stage a roadside sit-in. Ignoring his status as the chief minister of the capital, he worked for the common people of India.

#4 He rode around in a Wagon-R, not a limo
Keeping with the name of his party, the Aam Aadmi or “Common Man” Party, Mr. Kejriwal declined some of the high-profile benefits that come with the job of the chief minister, including a car, and a sprawling government bungalow. Instead, he chose to travel in his blue Wagon-R, which resonated with some middle-class Indian voters.

#5 Ran New Delhi’s shortest-lived government
Mr. Kejriwal resigned after 49 days in office after opponents blocked his anti-corruption bill in the state assembly. Rivals attacked him saying Mr. Kejriwal had been angling to quit, hoping to run for a higher office in national elections scheduled later in the year. During his tenure as chief minister, Mr. Kejriwal slashed electricity prices by nearly half, emerging as a hero for the poor.

#6 He challenged India’s prime minister
Mr. Kejriwal had political pundits scratching their heads last year after he decided to run for a seat in parliament- in the constituency of Narendra Modi, the tremendously popular BJP candidate who would ultimately win and become prime minister. “I know this is a big challenge, but I am ready for it,” Mr. Kejriwal said at the time. “I don’t care about winning or losing, I am here to struggle.” And lose he did.

#7 Expelled his own members when they went wrong- He had promised that all his members were well educated and had no criminal records, but in case they were found guilty, they would be expelled from the party. And that he did without having a second thought about it. He affirmed to make Delhi a secure and the first corruption-free city in India. He also opined that if any AAP volunteer does any wrong, the police must give him double the punishment.

#8 Accepting his mistakes- Arvind Kejriwal had thanked people for their presence on his oath-taking ceremony. Referring to his party’s victory, he said, “When such a big victory comes, arrogance follows. We need to be humble”. Acknowledging his defeat in the Lok Sabha elections 2014, he said that his party had been over ambitious, and had learnt a lesson for life.

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