The broom did the trick and swept the Delhi Assembly polls on December 8.
Kejriwal's surprise haul of 28 seats in Delhi, second only to the BJP's 31, proved the saffron party's calculations at projecting AAP as a vote-cutter party were far off the mark.
AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal (Right) and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra ModiBut behind the outward vitriol perhaps lies a deep admiration which reflects in the BJP's following in the footsteps of the newcomer party surreptitiously - perhaps more like the lame boy who followed the rodents scurrying in thrall of Hamlin's Pied Piper. It began with the party following in the footsteps of activist-turned-politician Kejriwal's novel ways right at the hustings. Breaking away from its decades-old practice, the BJP decided to go the AAP way in inviting suggestions from netizens before it finalised its manifesto for the Delhi Assembly elections.
After the initial shock at the Delhi poll results, the saffron party decided to say no to the lure of power despite having spent a good decade-and-a-half in Opposition. That, too, when it had bagged the highest number of seats in the national capital.
Such a move by the party is in sharp contrast to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee leading the shortest ever 13-day government in the aftermath of Lok Sabha elections in 1996.
The party must have thought its saying no to power would put it at par with the AAP on the moral pedestal.
However, its trump card in challenging the AAP to accept the people's mandate and fulfil the tall promises it made to the voters came a cropper when Kejriwal announced his decision to form the government with outside support from the Congress.
The party decided to salvage some of its face in the quick turn of events by crying hoarse at the Congress-AAP understanding calling it an "unholy alliance" and that Kejriwal had betrayed the people of Delhi by deciding to form the government with Congress's support.
These allegations hardly made for a sound argument and instead betrayed the growing sense of alienation within the party in a fast-changing axis of power in the national capital.
In the third incident of the saffron party being a secret admirer of the AAP's political game-plans, the BJP incorporated the new entrant's practice of inviting public donations in the recent announcement of its 'One Vote, One Note' drive.
Under the programme, believed to reach more than a crore people, hundreds of BJP workers will go to households, pitch for Modi as PM and seek donations of a minimum Rs 10 to a maximum of Rs 1,000. The drive was finalised at a brainstorming session of five BJP chief ministers and the party's central election committee on Tuesday.
At the session, while the party's PM nominee Narendra Modi urged BJP workers not to be distracted by new issues or factors (a reference to the AAP) and instead focus on the inner strength of the party's network; it appears he is steadily trying ways to assimilate the winning points of Kejriwal's brand of politics.
Given the Gujarat chief minister's incredible acumen at image-building, he might very well succeed at amalgamating the best of brand Kejriwal into brand Modi and emerge stronger than ever. It will be interesting to see how the former IRS official stands up to this sly challenge.
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