AAP Surges Ahead Over the Traditional Capitalist Parties in Delhi Assembly Elections

Rajesh Tyagi/ 15.12.2013

Re-inaugurating the platform of political reforms, Aam Aadmi Party, popularly known as AAP, has secured the vote, that surpassed all estimated margins in the run up to Delhi Assembly polls. Though trailing behind at number two after the right-wing hindu supremacist BJP, and remaining short of a clear majority in the house, AAP has succeeded in pushing back the ruling Congress Party and blocking the BJP from taking to power.

Before emergence of AAP, it was the right wing BJP under Narendra Modi, that was harping upon the mass discontent, monopolizing the opposition to the Congress regime. AAP has surely succeeded in ending this monopoly of BJP, appearing as more potent electoral threat to Congress than the BJP.

This victory of AAP, is clearly attributable in the first instance to the rising anger and discontent of workers, toilers and large sections of petty bourgeois, to the corrupt and criminal misrule of big business and big investors, presided over by the Congress Party, both at Centre and in Union Territory of Delhi. Secondly, the emergence and victory of reformist AAP comes in the backdrop of decimation of the revolutionary working class under the bogus leadership of Stalinists, that have subjugated the working class, again and again, to the big bourgeois parties like Congress, SP, BSP, JD, RJD and so on, on the lame excuses of defence of secularism and democracy.

AAP, the party of petty bourgeois reforms, with nationalist overtones, is marred with its own historic limitations. Rooted in sections of multi-layered petty bourgeois, AAP is politically and historically incapable to become a fighting force against the big bourgeoisie. Petty bourgeoisie is nothing but social base and backyard of the big bourgeoisie. Its parties, be they reformist or radical, cannot pose any serious challenge to the establishment of big bourgeoisie. In the rare eventuality that they rise to power, these parties can hold this power merely as a conduit to power of the big bourgeoisie.

Conscious of its inability to realize its own program and electoral promises, and keen to conceal its impotence at least till general elections for Lok Sabha, due in May next year, AAP finds itself into a dilemma over the obligation to form a government in Delhi.

Having all prospects of forming the government, ready at hand, the party of reformists, Aaam Aadmi Party (AAP), is dodging its own electorate with ethical zig-zags. Despite unconditional support declared by the Congress Party, obviously to put AAP in a fix, AAP is wobbling, seeking false apology to escape and shrug off somehow the obligation of forming a government. This is being done, however, on ethical and moral pretense, that includes imposing of unrealisable conditions upon the unconditional support of Congress.

Behind flaunting of empty moral rhetoric, articulated and couched in ethical musings, lurks the real and complete bankruptcy of the political platform of reformists in introducing any real change in the existing structures of capitalism- social, economic or political, and in breaking through the status-quo of the capitalist establishment. The party of reformists knows in advance that the moment it forms government in Delhi, it would immediately face a shipwreck, revealing its impotence in realizing even slightest of its electoral promises.

Overnight emergence of reformist AAP and its nearing to power in Delhi, however, has triggered a euphoria among the ranks of Stalinist pseudo-lefts. Long back in history, having virtually broken themselves with revolutionary marxism, stalinists have played an appendage to such centrist and reformist movements. In fact, Stalinists have subordinated the working class and youth that follows them, to the parties and program of bourgeois reforms. Soon after its emergence in 1925, the CPI had leaned upon the Comintern under Stalin and since then has continued to play a shadow role, first under British and then under the Indian Capitalist regime.

Bourgeois nationalism, recipe of class reconciliation, that implies a bloc of all classes, remains the common platform of both Stalinists and reformists. For this reason, the party of petty-bourgeois reforms appears to the Stalinist pseudo-lefts, in their own mirror image, as yet another party of the left. Not only leadership, but a ready vote bank of its supporters and sympathizers is supplied by the Stalinists to centrist and reformist movements and parties. Completely marginalized themselves, and faced into oblivion of history, incapable to play any effective role in politics of any country in the world, Stalinists have become ready reserves for such platforms of bourgeois reformists and nationalists.

Emergence of petty bourgeois parties like AAP, is the direct fallout of the most reactionary role that pseudo-left Stalinists have played for long, while remaining complicit with regime of capitalists. Stalinists have supported the successive corrupt and criminal UPA governments under Congress, at the time when these governments were presiding over the pulverization of workers and toilers under wheels of neo-liberalism. They delivered the working class bound hand and foot to the regime of capitalists.

Having remained instrumental in aborting the revolutionary waves that had set-in time and again, holding back the working class preventing it from presenting revolutionary solution to the corrupt misrule of capitalists, Stalinists are pledging now to learn from AAP. Eternal cheerleaders of democratic capitalism, Stalinists, voluntarily cling to the tails of sections of bourgeois and pose no challenge to capitalism.  

Role of Stalinists lies in protecting the bourgeois state against radicalization of the working class and millions of toilers behind it, by capturing the mood of the masses in illusory reforms. These illusions, in the capacity of capitalism to reform itself and deliver to the masses, have provided, more than once in history, a ready base for the parties like AAP that thrive in the reformist mood of the masses.       

Notwithstanding all moral rhetoric and phony slogans, refusal of AAP to form a government in Delhi to fulfill the promises it made to its voters and supporters, is demonstrative of the bankrupt program of reformism.

Failure of AAP and its leaders, in posing challenge to the rule and interests of the big corporate, has exposed the farcical program of reformists to the core. Petty bourgeois reformists are nothing but rescuers for the big bourgeoisie, who temporarily hold the reigns of its regime at the height of crisis, to save it from the wrath of workers and poors.

Political paralysis, that has gripped AAP as it neared to power, shows beyond all pale of doubt that the reformist-nationalist program is no real answer to the politics of big bourgeoisie, its misrule, loot, crime and corruption. Neither 21st  century capitalism, having transgressed national frontiers long back in history can be challenged on such a limited program. The only program that can pose real threat to the misrule of capitalists, is the program of ‘permanent revolution’ based on proletarian internationalism and international working class. Task before revolutionists is to launch a fight for this program, not only against bourgeois reformists, but also against Stalinists.