The Aam Aadmi Party’s Cultural Posture

Abstract

During the 2020 assembly election campaign, Kejriwal publicized his temple visits, signaling to the Hindus that he was one of them. Additionally, he avoided appearing pro-Muslim by disregarding the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protests. The CAA discriminated against Muslims by providing non-Muslim immigrants an easier path to Indian citizenship. The prevalent narrative about the Delhi voters suggests that the bread-and-butter issues matter more to them than religion and culture. Considering the AAP’s administrative record, the party could have won the election whether or not they appeared pro-Muslim. Nevertheless, Kejriwal’s campaign strategy suggests that he believed that offending the Hindus or appearing pro-Muslim would have hurt the AAP electorally despite the party’s exemplary administrative record. Supporting or opposing the protestors would have emphasized the Hindu-Muslim divide, pushing the undecided Hindu voters toward the BJP.