The politics of crisis management in Delhi: It suits AAP just fine

Consider Maharashtra; and consider Delhi. What do they have in common? They are both governed by parties that are opposed to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP); and both are battling Covid-19 at its virulent worst.
 

And yet the strategies are completely different. In Maharashtra, the approach is — politics followed by Covid-19 management and coping mechanisms. In Delhi, politics is Covid-19 and Covid-19 management is politics.
 

Since the end of October, Delhi has been in the grips of an unprecedented surge in the number of Covid-19 cases, which is being seen as the third wave in the city. The first two took place in July and September, respectively. Health Minister Satyender Jain concedes there is a third wave but says the peak is over. But you can never tell: So the fine for not wearing a mask in public has been revised from Rs 500 to Rs 2,000. With the wedding season approaching, the AAP government has reviewed its order allowing 200 guests at weddings, and now only 50 guests are allowed. A ban was imposed on mass Chhath puja festivities along the river front.
 

The BJP gnashed its teeth over it, but Kejriwal was succinct and clear. He told reporters ahead of the festivities:  “Why would I not want Delhi people to celebrate Chhath? It is an auspicious occasion and people should celebrate it, but inside their houses.
Don’t gather outside at ponds and other water-bodies as it may cause a massive spread. I told all parties that it’s a difficult time for the people of Delhi when Covid-19 cases are rising. It’s not the time for politics, there is an entire lifetime for it. We should set aside politics and allegations for a few days. This is the time to serve people.”
 

But this is easier said than done. While Chhath puja has passed, the next big question is saving livelihood. In view of the fury of the pandemic, the Delhi government has written to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), seeking permission to shut down major markets. While the government says this is not a lockdown, the move has elicited howls of protest. At the all party meeting held last week, the Congress said it was totally opposed to a lockdown. The BJP hummed and hawed — after all, if the BJP-led central government agreed to the lockdown, the local BJP could not be seen opposing it. On the other hand, how could it let an opportunity pass to criticise the AAP government. So the party put together a masked demonstration, where it asked why the AAP government had been sleeping: If it had been on the job, Delhi might not have faced the predicament it is caught in currently.
 

Experts say the situation of politics in Delhi suits AAP just fine. Time and again, it has faced the charge that it did not stand by the Muslims in Shaheen Bagh and other areas especially after riots in the capital; because it did not want to lose its Hindu following. AAP has offered no defence. Its platform has always been ‘kaam ki rajniti’; and the Covid crisis brings to the fore its best face as a bunch of political executives trying to prove themselves through governance rather than ideology.
 

The BJP is trying to resurrect itself around religious issues. “Kejriwal is such a namakharam chief minister. He would not allow Chhath even by following Covid-19 precautions and enact the drama of seeking Centre’s guidelines over it. Tell us which guidelines were followed in serving liquor round the clock,” former BJP chief in Delhi and a Purvanchali Manoj Tiwari said in a tweet. However, this has found little resonance in the serving BJP in the capital, which is agitating against the government on issues of livelihood rather than religion. AAP is unfazed. There’s nothing it likes more than politics around crisis management.