In Indian politics, a politician’s lifestyle matters, and those who shun the trappings of power, like Lal Bahadur Shastri, command respect. Living a lavish lifestyle, hence, is not so easy for our politicians—or even the perception of it. Arvind Kejriwal has learnt this the hard way after his party’s defeat in the Delhi Assembly election.
The “Sheeshmahal” controversy (allegations that he spent Rs.45 crore of taxpayer money on luxury fittings for his official bungalow) gave the BJP the perfect opportunity to challenge Kejriwal’s “aam admi” image, and it was a campaign that contributed to the party’s triumphant return to power after a 26-year hiatus.
As the dust settles on the Delhi election, with the BJP basking in victory and the AAP coming to terms with defeat, one thing is clear: perception matters in politics. The bigger the projection, the greater the backlash if expectations aren’t met.
In 2013, when Kejriwal first became Chief Minister and declined security cover and an official bungalow, he was compared to other “frugal” Chief Ministers like Mamata Banerjee, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, and Manik Sarkar of the CPI (M), and Manohar Parrikar of the BJP.
The media often highlighted these leaders’ modest lifestyles: Mamata Banerjee in her white sarees and rubber sandals, Parrikar riding pillion on a scooter with a common man, Bhattacharjee living in a rented government flat, and Sarkar donating most of his salary to his party.
On February 4, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a swipe at “some political leaders [who] focus on jacuzzis and stylish showers,” a comment seen as targeting Kejriwal.
The BJP made “Sheeshmahal” a central theme of its Delhi campaign, aiming to undermine Kejriwal’s pro-poor image. Modi contrasted this with his government’s efforts to provide water connections to 12 crore families, saying, “Our focus is on getting water connections in every home.”
The AAP tried to counter with its “Rajmahal” pitch, questioning the PM’s own residence. Party MP Sanjay Singh dared the BJP to open the PM’s residence to the media, saying, “If the BJP’s claims are true, let them show the minibar, the swimming pool, and the golden toilet to the world.”
The next day, the AAP leader Saurabh Bhardwaj asked why the police wouldn’t allow the public to see the “Sheeshmahal” even as AAP leaders staged a sit-in protest at the PM’s residence. The BJP also targeted the Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his “vacations”, such as his trip to Vietnam during the mourning period for the late Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. In fact, in 2019, BJP leader GVL Narsimha Rao criticised Gandhi’s “expensive” foreign trips.
Modi himself faced controversy in 2015 over his monogrammed pinstripe suit, which later sold for Rs 4.31 crore at an auction, with the proceeds going to the Clean Ganga mission. This controversy powered the Congress’ “suit-boot ki sarkar” campaign against Modi.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa faced bad press in 1997 after an IT raid revealed her vast collection of gold, silver jewellery, saris, and slippers. She staged a political comeback by adopting a simpler public image.
In November 2008, the media went berserk over the then Home Minister Shivraj Patil wearing three different sets of suits on the night of the Mumbai terror strike. His party, the Congress, found it difficult to defend him. Ultimately, Patil was made to resign.
Even an innocuous-looking T-shirt has, on many occasions, stirred political controversy. In 2022, Rahul Gandhi was attacked for allegedly wearing a Rs.41,257 Burberry T-shirt during his Bharat Jodo Yatra. The Congress countered by mentioning Modi’s expensive suit and glasses.
In November 2023, Rahul Gandhi said, “Today’s politicians will only show you what they want to show you. Sometimes, they come to meet me in simple clothes, no expensive watches, and torn shoes. But at home, they have big BMWs.”
In 2014, there were reports that Modi reprimanded a Minister for wearing jeans. Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar denied this, calling it misinformation.
In 2021, Gujarat MLA Vimalbhai Chudasama was evicted from the Assembly for wearing jeans and a T-shirt. More recently, poll strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor faced a backlash for his multi-crore AC van during a hunger strike in Bihar. A video of him arguing with a reporter went viral. And yet, no one understands the power of perception better than Kishor, whose past campaigns were built around key politicians’ personas.
Coming back to the AAP’s Delhi defeat, I’ve learnt that former Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj has just launched a YouTube channel, Berjozgar Neta Ji, to connect with the masses. Only time will tell if such efforts help his party recover lost ground.
Write back with your comments, memes, bouquets and brickbats.
Until then,
Anand Mishra | Political Editor, Frontline
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Source:https://frontline.thehindu.com/newsletter/poll-vault-anand-mishra/arvind-kejriwal-sheeshmahal-controversy-politicians-money-luxury-delhi-election-mamata-banerjee/article69219987.ece