As far as Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is concerned, his former colleague Kapil Mishra is fighting a wall that speaks not. Even as Mishra has been adding one new allegation every other day, and keeping up the tirade against Kejriwal via twitter, the chief minister has not responded so far. His supporters in the Aam Aadmi Party have, however, been maintaining that Mishra's ambitions find a strong backing in the BJP that would like to dislodge the Kejriwal government. Post their victory in the MCD elections, the saffron party's desire to form a government in Delhi by hook or crook has only got strengthened.
Kejriwal, while ignoring Mishra, chose to take on the BJP on Tuesday. He announced that with Haryana government reducing water supply to the capital, the Delhi government had decided to distribute the available water equally all over the capital territory. Effectively this means that the water supply to VIP and VVIP localities including Lutyens' Delhi, where ministers live in sprawling bungalows in the lap of lush lawns, too will be hit.
Haryana, incidentally, has a BJP government under Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.
Mishra's latest charge has been on the way the party raised funds through donations ahead of the Delhi elections and thereafter. Strangely, he did not answer questions on why he kept quiet on this all these months.
Kejriwal also launched what appears to be a dinner diplomacy to keep his flock in the party together, and away from the BJP's temptations. He invited party MLAs, leaders and their families over dinner on Sunday, and the discussion was less about Mishra's allegations and more about their unity.
Alka Lamba, the MLA representing the heritage area of Chandni Chowk with its old havelis and buzzling street food stalls and wholesale dealers, said it was more a show of strength. "We AAP MLAs are firmly behind Kejriwal after allegations by Kapil Mishra. So much lust for power is not good" she tweeted. Her second sentence was aimed at Mishra, whom the AAP supporters are now seeing as an over ambitious and power hungry person who had tried to craft his growth over the last two years. He has incidentally not been visited or supported by any of his colleagues in the Delhi Assembly or the party.
But that has not stopped Mishra from telling the media on Tuesday that he will not relent until the Delhi chief minister is sent to Tihar Jail.
