When did we last hear a prominent politician, member parliament and state president of a political party publicly pledging to not to drink? And when did we last witness such a pledge translating into a national news story? Perhaps never in the recent political history of Punjab,until last Sunday, when Sangrur AamAadmi Party (AAP) MP Bhagwant Mann made similar such pledgein front of a large gathering and in presence of his boss Arvind Kejriwal at Barnala rally.As usual, Mann’s ‘pledging moment’ turned out to be a climax of the event. However, rather than the pledge itself or its content, more important is the insight it offered about the nature of AAP’s political activism. On the other hand, Bhagwant Mann -- the pledger -- is merely a subject of the larger case study i:eAAP.
Mann’s pledge has come after surfacing of several controversial clips in the past some years, especially after his election as an MP in 2014 from Sangrur. Such clips showed him badly under influence of alcohol. Informal complaints by his political colleagues, coupled with such clips, painted his picture as an alcoholic and non-serious politician. His theatrics in public places, and even in the high security zones like Parliament, have made the matter worse for him.
One can easily guess as to what could be the fate of any other politician of any other political party after surfacing of such clips.He would have been either shown the door or top leadership preferred to keep such a leader at an arm length, at least publically. But Mann’s case was different.He not only remained in political limelight and continued to represent his party in the Parliament, even the party’s national leadership preferred to keep him by its side at public events.
This royal treatment of the political satirist-turned-politician left us guessing as to what is so special about him? Answer to this question lays not in Mann himself, but somewhere else.
Both at national and state level, AAP, even around six years after its formation, still lacksrobust organizational structure, which serves asa backbone for any political outfit. Rather than being evolved like a cadre-based party, AAP evolved as an outfit that relies solely on charisma of a handful of eminent and well-respected individuals to reap political success. Despite the fact that Punjabis elected AAP’s only four MPs in 2014 elections, the party’s organization in the state is hardly visible. In the absence of a well-knit party organization and committed cadre, the only other route to reap electoral success is to fight perception battle by riding piggyback on the constellation of charismatic eminent individuals.While following this route, AAP has astutely fought this battle of building positive perception among electors– both in Delhi and Punjab.Before 2017 Punjab assembly elections, gathering of such leaders at a common political platform drew crowds virtually from every strata of the society.
If figureslike Shanti Bhushan, Prashant Bhushan, Yogendra Yadav, Rajmohan Gandhi, Ashutosh,Prof Anand Kumar and Arvind Kejriwalhimself were starts of AAP’s front at national level (and in Delhi too), its Punjab constellation was studded with stars like eminent doctors late DrDaljit Singh and DrDharamvira Gandhi, legal luminaries like HS Phoolka andcomedians and political satirists likeBhagwant Mann and GurpreetGhuggi. It also included traditional leaders and former MLAs like Sukhpal Singh Khaira and Sucha Singh Chhotepur, artists like Bhai Baldeep Singh and JassiJasraj,Bollywood figures like Gul Panag, former Olympians and several eminent journalists, apart from several dozens of well-respected intellectuals and political activists having an unblemished record in academic and public life. This star-studded constellation helped AAP to build a narrative in its favor cutting across all sections of Punjab’s society. AAP’s “Historic Win” in 2017 assembly elections appeared absolutely certain to almost everyone. But then came the downturn.
AAP’s one after another political mistakes in the run up to 2017 assembly elections led to its unexpected defeat. After losing electoral battle, AAP soon started losing perception battle too. Most of the above-mentioned stars left the party one after another. Soon, the “ray of hope” started fading away. And finally, the constellation studded with stars too started withering away.Today, the AAP constellation actually stood withered. The only star that is still adorning it is Bhagwant Mann.
Coming back to Mann, he is, undoubtedly, a celebrity. Mann, who proudly claims that he is not a comedian but a political-satirist, gained popularity way back in 1991-92, when he registered his entry at Punjabi’s comedy arena with his first album. Since then, there is no looking back for this talented artist. Brought up in a deep rural pocket of one of the most backward regions of Punjab, he has a superb understanding of Punjab’s ruralfolk. He knows well as to how a common Punjabi struggles during its day-to-day dealing with corrupt political system. This trait, coupled with his entertaining skills, helped him to pull satires laden both with the sufferings of common people and serious political message. Such satires had made him household name in Punjab. Actually, it is he who introduced altogether different genre of political satire in Punjabi comedy, which was hitherto no more than a non-serious stuff.
When this political-satirist opted to join politics, people thronged in thousands to hear his satire-laden speeches at rallies before election. He first joined Akali-turned Congressman and presently Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal-led Peoples Party of Punjab. He contested against Congress stalwart and former CM Rajinder Kaur Bhattal but lost. Eventually, he joined AAP before 2014 Lok Sabha elections and won Sangrur Lok Sabha seat by securing over 51 % votes and defeating Akali stalwart and former Union Minister Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa.Although he lost from Jalalabad assembly segment in 2017 assembly elections to former Punjab deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal,but Bhagwant Mann was the most followed orator on social media during 2017 assembly election campaign.People would wait for hours to listen to his speech.AAP national leadership is well aware of Mann’s crowd pulling skills.While calling him on dais, AAP top leaders would call him “aapkedilonkidhadkan”, presenting him as more of a Bollywood celebrity than a sincere politician.
But, as almost all popular names have bid goodbye to the party, Mann is the only popular face in AAP’s kitty to lead its bandwagon in Punjab. And AAP’s top bosses are well aware of the fact that management of crowd is the most important weapon required to fight battle of building positive perception among voters.On the top of it, in the absence of well-oiled organization and serious leadership, attracting crowd towards AAP’s events is the last resort to keep the party relevant in Punjab. More than any other element, crowd has come to be known as the barometer to measure and predict electoral success of any party. Such ‘positive’ predictions offer parties like AAP the bargain power required to negotiate terms of future political alliances.Today, crowd matters the most. Even if it doesn’t translate into votes. Today, when most of the Punjabis consider AAP as a political entity that is least concerned about Punjab, crowd is the element which AAP needs the most to keep itself afloat in the state.And nobody other can fulfill this unstated task as efficiently as Bhagwant Mann.
The party like AAP, which relies on reaping electoral success on the basis of personality cult and management of crowds instead of religiously involving itself in collective political activism, can hardly take risk of losing a star like him. Because, after all, Bhagwant Mann still carries the charisma of his yore days. People haven’t yet stopped thronging public meetings to have a glimpse of him and to listen to his satires. His still pulls the satires targeting corrupt political class and executive machinery. And moreover, he is still what AAP top bosses want him to be -- the crowd puller.
That’s why the pledge came.At this juncture, nothing could have been sensible than this pledge for Mann and AAP.The pledge offered him another chance to remain party’s face and star campaigner in Punjab. Once again, in run up to 2019 General Elections, he would hop from one stage to another and draw crowds at AAP’s public meetings and rallies. Once again, social media traffic will converge towards Mann and his party. It would keep both of them -- Bhagwant Mann and his AAP-- afloat and politically relevant, at least for now. That’s how the pledge will serve the purpose.
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Dr Amaninder Pal, Doctor and Activist
amanrahul1@gmail.com
Phone No. : 94178-65797
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