AAP's next step

Arvind Kejriwal must now take up the business of governance

Amid much enthusiasm, the seven members of Delhi's new cabinet of ministers from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) were sworn in on Saturday at Ramlila Maidan in central Delhi. There is every reason to feel both awe and pride. Awe, in that some members of what claimed to be a non-political movement managed to shed a large deal of its baggage and work so hard and so well at creating a formidable electoral force. Barely a year after starting a political party, Arvind Kejriwal is chief minister of India's most diverse state. And pride, in that India's political system and democratic institutions have once again done what they do best, in incorporating and raising to power even those who criticise it - showing the strength of its Constitution and of its electoral democracy.

For Mr Kejriwal, the journey has been swift, but it has covered a lot of ground. From an activist disdainful of politics and politicians, he became an opposition politician himself. And now he has become a successful one. But the transformation from activist to politician is, actually, still less than half the distance he must walk. As several people have shown - West Bengal's Mamata Banerjee being one prominent recent example - the transformation from agitational opposition politician to the one making policy and setting the agenda is harder still. Mr Kejriwal has shown that he is second to none when it comes to determination. His formidable will must now be turned to matters of governance. This will not be easy, given the stated positions of the AAP, which are maximalist in nature and in some cases naive. The party has promised free water, cheap power, the end of contract labour in state services, and a large set of other things that may be difficult to achieve. Still, given his achievement, underestimating Mr Kejriwal would be a mistake.

The sooner Delhi's new ruling party realises that it is in power and is the source of decision making, the better. In the context of corruption, Mr Kejriwal has stressed the importance of transparency. This should also, now, extend to his political and policy-related decision making. Just as a government contract should not be awarded to those to whom politicians already wish to give the tender, policy should not be made without taking into account all the alternatives and ramifications. For example, arranging for free water may not break the Delhi state treasury. But it may have consequences for supply and distribution, as well as for investment in the water purification network, which are negative. Mr Kejriwal should study these consequences carefully, and make it clear to Delhi's citizens what the cost of his campaign promises might be. Already, Delhi's bus conductors have arrived at his doorstep demanding he fulfil his promise and ensure all of them are permanent employees. Policymaking will demand him to balance various imperatives and make compromises - and that cannot be done if the AAP is still in activist mode.

The stakes are high. Mr Kejriwal's success in Delhi has attracted to his party various members of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress - a bandwagon effect not uncommon when the headwind seems to be behind a political force. Before the 2014 general elections, the AAP will have to expand out of Delhi to other urban agglomerations where it has a chance. In order to do that, it will have to present a coherent and responsible alternative. That starts with governing Delhi responsibly.