What does AAP's mega rally mean for Kejriwal?

Less than a month ago, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal attended a rally of political parties opposed to the BJP, organised by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. On Wednesday, Banerjee will be in Delhi to attend the AAP's mega rally, Tanashahi Hatao, Desh Bachao—Remove Dictatorship, Save the Country.

What would the optics indicate? Of late, Kejriwal has confined himself to Delhi politics. He considers it a place where he stands a better chance of winning, than, say, Haryana, where elections will be held later this year. He projecting the image of a big leader with the interests of Delhi residents at heart. It is another matter that the residents of the national capital are uniquely placed to keep their eyes on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Delhi chief minister. What they see will determine the outcome of the next round of elections, for India and Delhi.

What will a mega rally achieve? The AAP, while it has earned ardent admirers all over the country for their enthusiasm and brazenness in taking on the establishment, has never really made an electoral dent at the national level. The party started off on sound footing in Punjab—their best bet after Delhi. But, last heard, many senior leaders had quit.

The Brigade Parade rally at Kolkata gave Kejriwal his first big opportunity to share the stage with leaders of established political parties across the country. The mega rally at Jantar Mantar will give Kejriwal yet another opportunity to make common cause with non-BJP parties. The Congress is not likely to attend the rally. Delhi Congress president Sheila Dixit had said she was against any partnership with AAP at the local level. This sentiment has been shared by Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh as well.

The presence of other parties will signal that AAP is not dependent on the Congress, but is a part of a larger group of parties opposed to PM Narendra Modi.

With the SP-BSP alliance keeping Congress out of their arrangement for the Lok Sabha elections, the Congress and the BJP seem to be at two opposite poles, while those rallying against 'dictatorship'—whether in Kolkota or Delhi—have chosen to throw their collective weight in the poll arena.

For Kejriwal, hosting a rally at the national capital, and being seen in the company of the likes of Chandrababu Naidu and Mamata Banerjee, will ensure that AAP does not become part of history, whatever the electoral outcome. The rally will also give him an opportunity to talk about his party's work in the capital city; pats on his back by other leaders will be a good launchpad for his party's campaign.