Political Representation in the Discourse and Practices of the “Party of the Common Man” in India

Abstract

One of the many challenges presented by populism concerns its relationship with political representation. What happens when an anti-politics movement wins elections? This article offers an analysis of the exercise of power by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP, Party of the Common Man), which has been ruling the city-state of Delhi since 2015, in order to bring elements of answer to this question. On the basis of discourse analysis as well as direct observation of meetings, the article first identifies a series of populist tropes in the official discourse of the AAP, including a de-emphasis on representation to the advantage of participation. It then describes the two main participatory schemes implemented by the AAP government since 2015, and shows that these generate, in different ways, a magnification of the mediation work that is central to political representation at the local level in the Indian context. Finally, the article argues that the party has been developing, through these participatory schemes, a form of “inclusive representation” (Hayat, 2013), in which inclusion is linked to mobilization.

Women’s Political Participation and Empowerment in Urban Local Governance in West Bengal, India

“…Although income is often considered an important attribute to get entry into the sphere of politics (Lama-Rewal and Ghosh, 2005), in the studied municipalities, the situation is just the contrary where most of the respondents reported having low family income. The income level of the women elected representatives varies highly (Figure 2).…”

“…But family connections and money are major influences for women ticket seekers in mega cities, which also improve the chances of being elected. It has also shown that women councillors have to perform a number of roles as people’s representatives and as members of the elected council and they have to balance two roles: as family members or private persons and as public figures (Lama-Rewal and Ghosh, 2005). Another study found that after the implementation of the 74th CAA, political participation of women in Narsapur Municipal Council, Andhra Pradesh, has increased to a considerable extent.…”

The Role of Housing Finance Actors in Regenerating Delhi’s Unauthorised Colonies: An Examination of State–Citizen– Market Boundaries

“…They also helped pilot the mohalla sabha model that involves public meetings in the settlement, where residents can air grievances and get responses in face-to-face interactions with officials and where budgets also get sanctioned for infrastructure improvements. Lama-Rewal (2019) has referred to this phenomenon as the ‘semi-institutionalization of MLA representatives’ (p. 185). Apart from the party volunteers, we find that non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have also filled the gaps, either as extensions of the state or by providing services that improve connections and interfaces with the state.…”