After Kejriwal's win, political parties showing renewed concern for 'aam aadmi'

With the stupendous victory of AAP in Delhi assembly polls on a strong anti-corruption plank and a professed concern for the common man, the focus of most political parties in Uttarakhand seems to have shifted to the man on the street. A slew of decisions and gestures by various political parties have reflected this renewed concern.

Be it the urgency displayed by state government's decision to convene a special session of the state assembly later this month to pass a Lokayukta bill modelled on the Lokpal bill passed by Parliament, its decision to waive off the Mandi tax from over 40 fruits and vegetables to give relief to people from back-breaking prices or a former CM's decision to remove red beacons from his official vehicles -- all of these were aimed at reaching out to the common man.

All of a sudden the political parties' perception of issues like creation of a strong anti-corruption ombudsman, price-rise and prevailing VIP culture in politics seems to have undergone a sea change.

For instance, soon after the long-awaited Lokpal bill was passed by Parliament, the Bahuguna government, so far averse to the implementation of the Lokayukta Act passed by the state assembly during previous BJP government, suddenly changed tack and announced a special session of Uttarakhand Assembly from January 13 to pass a Lokayukta legislation modelled on the Centre's Lokpal, apparently in a move to claim a moral high ground ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

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