The two unique symbols of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) are the framed portraits of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar (1891-1956) and Shaheed Bhagat Singh (1907-1931). The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is a political organization that governs Punjab and the Union Territory of Delhi (Delhi).
Framed Paintings as Political Symbols:
The AAP uses framed portraits of Dalit leader Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and the highly energetic anti-colonial youth leader Bhagat Singh to appeal to Dalit and youth voters in Delhi. A significant question arises: why doesn’t the AAP display portraits of Mahatma Gandhi, the President, or the Prime Minister of India?
Firstly, the AAP understands that the people of Delhi primarily associate Mahatma Gandhi with the Indian National Congress (Congress), a rival party. Additionally, the Congress has successfully centralized the title of ‘Gandhi’ within the Nehru dynasty, another rival power of the AAP. As a result, the AAP avoids using images of Mahatma Gandhi in its political affairs.
Secondly, the AAP identifies the President with the Adivasi community, and since Delhi lacks a significant Adivasi voter base, the party does not see a political advantage in using the President’s image. Moreover, the AAP perceives the President as aligned with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), another rival of the AAP.
Thirdly, the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, is the main political adversary of AAP’s leader, Arvind Kejriwal, which is why the AAP refrains from displaying Modi’s portrait.
In sum, the AAP seeks to establish a distinct identity by drawing connections between Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, a Hindu-turned-Buddhist leader, Bhagat Singh, an atheist and literate revolutionary, and Arvind Kejriwal, who presents himself as a patriotic and honest individual.
-Dimple Kumar, writes on social issues.
