Arvind Kejriwal: The man who took on Modi

Delhi's people have voted overwhelmingly this week in favor of Arvind Kejriwal. His party, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Hindi for the common man's party, has dealt a crushing blow to Indian Prime Minister Modi's Hindu nationalist Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP).

Kejriwal's party won 67 out of the 70 available seats in the state assembly, making him the Indian capital's new chief minister. Chief ministers are elected to oversee each of India's 29 states and two union territories.

Known for his anti-corruption campaigning, Kejriwal pledged to put an end to Delhi's "VIP culture" at his swearing in ceremony on Saturday.

The essential Kejriwal terminology

Some supporters like to depict Kejriwal as "Mufflerman," a superhero who wipes out injustice from society. The figure's combat gear includes a pair of trousers, a sweater, an AAP cotton cap and a muffler - a woolen scarf around his neck to protect him from Delhi's freezing winters.

Satirical cartoonist Sudhir Tailang tweeted his cartoon of Kejriwal reining in Modi with his muffler.

The word "Aam" in Hindi - which appears in Kejriwal's party name - also means "mango," which has led to use of the slang phrase "mango man" by Delhi's youth to mean "common man." Mango voted in support of another political symbol, the broom, which represents Kejriwal's party and its stated intent to sweep away corruption and other social ills.

'Committed' reformer

Many are asking what's behind Kejriwal's success? Prominent NDTV television anchor Ravish Kumar, who has been observing Kejriwal's rise since 2000, says: "He is very committed. This man sees things through once he decides to do them and his attitude wouldn’t have changed even if he'd lost the elections."

Working in isolation or plodding on despite rejection is nothing new for Kejriwal. The leader's perseverance helped secure him the Ramon Magsaysay prize, also known as Asia's Nobel, in 2006 for his work on creating more awareness about the Right to Information Act, which accords every Indian citizen the right to inspect government documents.

Kejriwal, a former income tax officer, wears simple clothes and has won admiration for his unpretentious air.

"When you visit him … you realize he is not someone who keeps buying consumer goods and putting up pictures of everything on his walls," says Ravish Kumar.

Unlike Modi, who never even mentioned having a wife, Kejriwal hugs his partner and even posts a picture online, earning brownie points from his fans.

The 2013 debacle

Kejriwal rose to fame in 2011, when he, along with grassroots activist and conservationist Anna Hazare, launched a movement to weed out corruption from the country. He faced his first major political test in the Delhi state elections in 2013. Although his party did not win an absolute majority, he was appointed chief minister.

Kejriwal's term was short. The leader went on strike, declared himself an anarchist and quit within 49 days when his demands of appointing an anti-corruption ombudsman were rejected by the opposition.

But the former income tax officer has learned from his mistakes, Ravish Kumar says. "Instead of projecting himself just as an honest leader, Kejriwal is learning to project himself as honest and tactical," the television anchor says. Kejriwal's victory will only spur him on and make him more committed towards his cause.

A threat to Modi?

The social campaigner suffered a crushing blow last year in May when he lost to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the parliamentary elections, but after his victory in the Delhi state polls, everything seems to have worked out for the best.

NDTV anchor Ravish Kumar says Kejriwal toppled Modi's party when the prime minister was at the peak of his power, welcoming US President Barack Obama and addressing him on a first-name basis. Kejriwal's win could be unsettling for Modi and his party's political future and of course, as it signifies a huge political victory for the anti-corruption leader.

However, the AAP's performance after taking over the administration's reins would be the sole basis on which one could decide whether Kejriwal was a threat to Modi or not, Ravish Kumar maintains.

"Kejriwal has not made history; people have made history," he says, adding that people have voted for Kejriwal and not the other way round.