By Prem Chandran

In one swift stroke, Chief Minister and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal has proven that he leads his flock from the front. Both Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav may have a point or two. And, there is the need to shape the AAP on democratic lines. But, making a public issue out of their grievances was not the way forward. It certainly was not the right way when the man who single-handedly crafted a victory for the party was just about getting settled in his exalted chair and in his new job.

If someone sees impropriety in the way both Bhushan and Yadav conducted themselves, they are only to blame for it. They should have the basic decency to note that the AAP is still an entity that thrives on the personal appeal of a single individual, even as there are a whole lot of people at various levels who made the impossible possible for the party. Fortunately or unfortunately, both Bhushan and Yadav do not seem to have a mass following, while Kejriwal has it in abundance. This may have a lot to do with his communication skills, the feeling he gives of him being sincere to the cause he upholds, or the great media push that he has got all along. Rather, it could be a combination of all these factors and much more. No one doubts he is crafty as well. This now was time for all AAP functionaries to give him their able support and see the ship sail along. Goodwill mattered.

Leg-pulling is certainly not the way forward, though Delhi's political culture has, like everything else, vitiated the AAP's organisational apparatus too. What was expected of the two rebels was patience. It now is clear that both had fallen out of Kejriwal's scheme of things a long while ago. Some say the two were pulling Kejriwal's leg for quite some time, resulting in the trust deficit which was so very pronounced in recent times. For the common folks, it was evident in the election campaign and during the swearing in.

Who is at fault, and who is not, is to be found by a close study of the matters. But, there may not be many to shed a few tears for both Bhushan and Yadav for what has happened to them -- a forced exit from the party's policy making body. Leadership is about taking a call at the right time and settling matters for once and all, rather than allowing things to drift or the scenario to worsen. Kejriwal has shown he has the grit and determination to take things forward. There still should be scope for a reconciliation, though. premcee@gmail.com