Arvind KejriwalEdit

Arvind Kejriwal is an Indian politician and former civil servant who has been a leading figure in Delhi politics for over a decade. A co-founder of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), he rose to national attention after participating in the 2011-2012 anti-corruption movement led by Anna Hazare and later steered a political project aimed at delivering transparent, citizen-driven governance. Since 2015 he has served as chief minister of Delhi, a role in which his administration has pursued expansive social welfare programs alongside efforts to reduce corruption and improve public services. His tenure has been marked by both tangible gains in public service delivery and ongoing political contention with opponents and institutions at the center of Indian federalism.

Early life and career

Arvind Kejriwal trained as an engineer at the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur and subsequently joined the Indian Administrative Service in the mid-1990s. His career as a bureaucrat included a focus on governance and anti-corruption measures, which set the stage for his later political work. In 2011-2012 he stepped into the national spotlight as part of the anti-corruption movement organized by Anna Hazare and others, which called for stronger anti-corruption measures and greater accountability in public life. The movement helped catalyze a new political vehicle, the Aam Aadmi Party, founded to contest elections on a platform of transparency and reform.

Political ascent and leadership of the AAP

Kejriwal and his colleagues founded the AAP in 2012 with the aim of offering a different model of politics—one centered on direct accountability to citizens and a focus on service delivery rather than traditional party machines. In December 2013, after a wave of popular support, the party won a substantial number of seats in the Delhi Legislative Assembly and Kejriwal became Chief Minister of Delhi following a short-lived initial term. He subsequently led a resurgent, longer tenure beginning in 2015, with re-elections in 2020 that solidified the party’s control over Delhi’s government apparatus. The party has since sought to expand its footprint beyond Delhi, contesting national elections and presenting a governance model that proponents describe as responsive to residents’ everyday needs.

Governance in Delhi

Kejriwal’s administration has emphasized delivering public services more directly to residents and increasing oversight of government programs. Notable policy areas include:

Education and health services: Investments in public education and the expansion of community health and primary care facilities.
Mohalla clinics: A network intended to provide accessible, neighborhood-based primary care as a complement to the formal health system.
Utilities subsidies: Programs aimed at making electricity and water more affordable for households, with a focus on targeted subsidies and consumer protections.
Transparency and accountability: A push for greater transparency in public procurement and budgeting, rooted in the anti-corruption rhetoric that helped propel the party onto the political stage.

These initiatives have been framed by supporters as direct responses to past gaps in service delivery and corruption, while critics have argued that such policies may rely on ongoing subsidies and mandate sustained fiscal support from the government. The Delhi model of governance—particularly in health and education—has been invoked in debates about whether centralized or localized governance approaches can be scaled nationally.

Kejriwal’s approach to governance in Delhi has also involved frequent friction with the central government over jurisdiction and funding, a dynamic that arises from the constitutional arrangement governing Delhi as a union territory with a unique administrative framework. The relationship between the Delhi Lieutenant Governor and the chief minister has been a persistent feature of the political landscape, shaping how policies are implemented and budgets are allocated.

Controversies and debates

Kejriwal’s tenure has been the subject of significant debate and criticism, much of it focused on policy funding, sustainability, and political strategy. Critics argue that the subsidized utility schemes and expansive social programs, while popular, raise questions about long-term fiscal sustainability and the ability to maintain services if revenue growth stalls. Advocates counter that the focus on education, healthcare, and transparent governance addresses urgent social needs and strengthens the social contract with residents.

Another axis of controversy concerns governance under Delhi’s constitutional framework, where central authority and the role of the Lieutenant Governor have at times complicated the implementation of the chief minister’s agendas. Supporters of Kejriwal contend that his confrontations with the center are a necessary check on overreach and bureaucratic inertia, while critics frame the disputes as disruptive to policy continuity.

Nationally, the AAP’s attempts to translate Delhi’s governance model into a broader political platform have met mixed responses. Proponents see potential for reform-minded governance that emphasizes accountability and service delivery; detractors worry about the party’s ability to sustain large-scale programs and navigate the complexities of national politics, including competition with other major parties such as the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Indian National Congress.

Legacy and influence

Kejriwal’s political path has left a lasting imprint on Indian politics by reframing how anti-corruption rhetoric can be translated into electoral success and governance. The Delhi experience has been cited in debates about urban governance, public service delivery, and the feasibility of large-scale social subsidies in a federal system. The AAP’s emphasis on direct citizen engagement and transparent administration has influenced political discourse and inspired similar experiments in other states, even as questions remain about scalability, fiscal discipline, and coordination with central authorities.

The broader political landscape continues to evaluate the balance between ambitious welfare programs and the need for sustainable public finance, with Kejriwal’s approach serving as a reference point in those discussions. The ongoing evolution of Delhi’s administration—and the national conversation about governance models—reflects a broader tension between reformist impulses and the constraints of governance within a diverse and federal political system.