Delhi Polls: Can Aam Aadmi Party get a breath of fresh air amid pollution?

In recent times, Delhi, a city with glorious history and colourful feathers in its cap, plunged into darkness with pollution engulfing it.

Ever since human beings learnt the use of fire and surged towards becoming the most dominating species on Earth, pollution has slowly and steadily raised its ugly head to become a threatening monster. Fed by humans, it is increasingly becoming dangerous for the very existence of nature. In modern times, Delhi is bearing the brunt of pollution, placing the lives of its citizens in a perilous position.

According to a study conducted by BreatheEasy Consultants in September 2019, even the houses in the city were very polluted, and the air was infested with a large concentration of PM2.5, carbon dioxide, and harmful gases, with long-term health implications.

In October, Delhi's Air Quality Index was 259, considered to be bordering on the 'very poor' category. 'Diwali' worsened the situation, and towards the end of the month, Delhi was staring at a blanket of fog during the daytime with the Air Quality Index hovering around 400, sometimes even breaching that mark.

It was bound to invoke political mud-slinging, and the politicians lived up to the expectation. BJP took it up as a potent weapon to attack Aam Admi Party(AAP) and their supremo Arvind Kejriwal and in no time, AAP retaliated. Arvind Kejriwal entered the foray and dismissed 'The Bureau of Indian Standards' report that termed Delhi's water most unsafe among 21 state capitals as "false and politically motivated".

With the Delhi Assembly elections scheduled to be on February 8 and the counting of votes on February 11, political parties are jostling more than ever to voice their concerns about the pollution. For the BJP and Congress, it is ammunition to put a brake on AAP's 'development' juggernaut.

The Kejriwal-led party is leaving no stone unturned to showcase their work profile during the five years at the helm, with the Chief Minister himself saying with a sense of confidence and tinge of assurance that "Vote for us if we have delivered, otherwise don't".

In such a scenario, the opposition parties have, in somewhat expected terms, attacked the ruling government over their apparent inability to tackle the situation. While Delhi Congress chief Shubhash Chopra claimed that more than 60,000 people have died of pollution-related health problems in Delhi in the last five years, BJP leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath and Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari have never failed to remind Delhiites that the poison of the city is bound to affect them in the most detrimental way.

Is this going to be a problem for AAP? That is something one can only speculate. But pollution has hung heavily over Delhi and despite Kejriwal's promise that his government will solve the problem if given the mandate again, there are some lingering apprehensions about AAP's ability and tact.

If media coverage was not enough to highlight the gravity of the situation, a tweet by Hollywood star Leonardo Di Caprio on Delhi pollution created ripples of controversy, heightening the misery and woeful situation of AAP.

In an age when global warming and climate change have been the talk of the town with more and more voices demanding the safety of the planet, Delhi's pollution has added another twist to the tale.

Come February 8, and Delhiites can either choose to give AAP a second chance, or they can decide to give someone else the opportunity to stir the hornet's nest.
As of now, Aam Admi Party stands in the middle of the dense claustrophobic fog, hoping for a breath of fresh air. Something that Delhi has longed for a long time.