There are two definite issues related to the formation of the first Aam Admi Party (AAP) Government in Delhi. Firstly, there’s a beeline aftermath to join the nascent outfit which was born in the crucible of Anna Hazare’s anti-corruption movement and secondly, Arvind Kejriwal regime has generatedfrightening expectations from all sections of people – including Kingfisher Airlines staff, aggrieved housewives, workers of Delhi Transport Corporation, teachers and others.

There is now also talk, at least in terms of perception, that Kejriwal has joined the big league of Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi as ‘probable’ PM candidates for the 2014 general elections. Initial surveys in the first 10 days of January suggest that Kejriwal’s outfit could win as many as 5 out of 7 Lok Sabha seats in Delhi itself.

But along with the drum beats and media honeymoon, the Kejriwal regime is already running into rough weather. The Delhi Law Minister Somnath Bharti has earned ridicule more than once and worse, much to the let down of denizens, his Chief Minister has backed him.

“AAP is not walking the talk they hyped so much about lofty ideals and principles,” says Congress leader and Information Minister Manish Tewari.

“The CWG scam, the 2G spectrum allocation, coal block allocation or corruption of the Sheila Dikshit Government are not mentioned by it (AAP). It is deflecting the attention to petty corruption”

In one case, Kejriwal’s Law Minister wanted to hold a meeting of all district judges in Delhi who come under the jurisdiction of the Delhi High Court. And secondly, his conduct has come under a scathing attack from a CBI court judge, who says, Kejriwal’s lieutenant has tried to tamper with evidence. The BJP has called the charge serious and touts ‘self reighteous’ Kejriwal’s defence of the Law Minister as a “shameless matter”.
Others say the trouble has just begun in the AAP. Kejriwal’s own janata Durbar has boomeranged after it was totally mishandled. Now the people’s Chief Minister has cancelled the Durbar altogether.

Political watchers are not surprised by these initial skirmishes. While some say, more such things could come; others hope it is better that Kejriwal starts concentrating on a delivery mechanism. “He should now promise less and deliver more,” Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh told Eastern Panorama.

Observers also say the mythical belief that the Aam Admi phenomenon has come for the first time in the country is incorrect. States like Maharashtra and Assam had experienced the same.

In the backyards of the North East region of the country, they say, people of Assam had reposed such ‘faith’ in the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) in the 1980s when former students rode the popularity wave close on the heels of the famous Assam Accord signed by the then Rajiv Gandhi Government in 1985.

In retrospect, the AGP was a result of a six-year-long Assam agitation led by the All Assam Students Union (AASU) against illegal infiltration of foreigners from Bangladesh. In the case of Delhi, AAP is a part of the culmination of an anti-corruption crusade. In both the cases, the expectations from the neo-leaders are (or were) frightening.

“My support to Modi is for a strong, united, accountable, stable government. Any one of us who wants a scam free country cannot vote back Congress!”

Like Arvind Kejriwal and his refreshing ideas, in Assam, it was a soft - spoken Prafulla Kumar Mahanta who took over the reins of the State as the country’s ‘youngest Chief Minister’. But in Assam, the AGP failed after there was huge corruption over cushy rooms and air conditioners. Therefore, AAP will do well to learn something from the AGP experience.

Having said these, we now come to real issues, many say, the Kejriwal regime is otherwise expected to address.

Senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley has raised the bogey of some match-fixing between AAP and Congress by saying, “The AAP is trying to alter the corruption agenda. There is no reference to corruption allegations which can embarrass the Congress. The CWG scam, the 2G spectrum allocation, coal block allocation or corruption of the Sheila Dikshit Government are not mentioned by it. It is deflecting the attention to petty corruption”.

Thus, pressure is bound to mount on these fronts otherwise Kejrwal’s credibility will be at stake. “I agree, we have to prove ourselves,” says Kejriwal’s Education Minister Manish Sisodia.

Analysts also say sustaining a political party and a Government on a single issue of corruption will be extremely unrealistic. “Taking the space of both Congress and BJP is one thing, but now it has to deliver and deliver quickly without the usual hassles and bribes,” says Prof K Kabra of the think tank Centre for the Studies of Developing Societies (CSDS).

On the other hand, Congress leaders, somehow, forced to extend outside support are divided over the issue. Sheila Dikshit, former Chief Minister who will be first to be embarrassed if corruption cases are probed, said the support is “not conditional.” A former Congress leader Alka Lamba already quit her party and joined Kejriwal’s outfit. The union minister Jairam Ramesh says, “I have my doubts on how much the  AAP Government can deliver. Unlike what Kejriwal says; Governance is a pretty tough business in India”.

The alleged perception of ‘backdoor entry of Congress’ is also catching up and thus a former associate of Kejriwal and popular former IPS officer, Kiran Bedi has decided to back BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi. “My support to Modi is for a strong, united, accountable, stable Government,” she said. Much to the delight of the BJP camp, she had tweeted, “Any one of us who wants a scam free country cannot vote back Congress!”

Jaitley says AAP is only a “party born out of a reaction” and adds that the AAP Delhi Government’s performance post the results has not been too inspiring. “It has no agenda to evolve Delhi into a global city. Its Delhi activities have centered around the vehicles in which the Ministers travel, kind of houses they occupy, the freebies that they can distribute, how to sting people and other similar activities intended to occupy the media centre stage.” He also says that AAP is slowly becoming a victim of its own methodology. However, neither the Congress nor the BJP is taking AAP lightly.

BJP has decided to factor in AAP’s unconventional style of politics while preparing their electoral strategy. Apparently taking a leaf from the success of AAP, Rahul told a party meeting that while deciding on candidates, the views of local units and local citizens should be given prime importance. AAP leader Kumar Vishwas has threatened to sweat it out against Rahul in his pocket borrow, Amethi.

There is now also talk, at least in terms of perception, that Kejriwal has joined the big league of Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi as ‘probable’ PM candidates for the 2014 general elections.

There is however an intra-party squabble. Ahmedabad - based noted danseuse Mallika Sarabhai has criticized Vishwas for his alleged pro - Modi slant. Vinod Binny, a Delhi legislator from Laxmi Nagar, has alleged that AAP is deviating from its cherished principles and has been served with a show cause notice for this statement.

The confrontation with cops has forced AAP leaders to meet Lt Governor Najeeb Jung and Kejriwal himself met Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde with a demand for the suspension of four police officials for alleged non - cooperation and lapses in duty. Is this the way Governments run in India? There are not many takers.