Arvind Kejriwal seized control, spearheaded negotiations on behalf of Anna Hazare

NEW DELHI: As Team Anna battled with the government for the acceptance of the Jan Lokpal bill, in particular the three contentious points of citizen’s charter, establishment of Lokayuktas in states and bringing lower bureaucracy within the ambit of central ombudsman, an interesting sideshow was the tussle among the Gandhian’s close associates to seize control of the agitation.

As the agitation entered its second week, activists such as Swami Agnivesh and, to some extent, former Karnataka Lokayukta Santosh Hegde, were eased out of the frame altogether by Arvind Kejriwal and Kiran Bedi.

Agnivesh’s position was rendered further precarious by the surfacing of a CD in which he was shown leaking out details of Anna’s fast and terms of negotiations with the govt.

In fact, Kejriwal showed that he was firmly in control when he was asked to shoulder the task of master of ceremonies during the fast-breaking ceremony at the Ramlila Grounds on Sunday.

He held forth for a little less than half-an hour, defending the movement, congratulating the stakeholders and articulating the next challenges. In the initial days, Agnivesh was an integral part of the negotiating team formed by Anna to engage the government.

As their campaign spilled over into the second week, Kejriwal seized control, spearheading the negotiations on behalf of Anna Hazare.