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AAP debutant Avadh Ojha has his goal set for Patparganj: make East Delhi seat next IAS coaching hub

In his own words, Ojha’s decision to align with the AAP stems from his admiration for Kejriwal’s educational reforms, which, he believes, resonate with his own vision for Delhi.

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New Delhi: Criss-crossing the lanes in Mayur Vihar Phase 2, UPSC coaching teacher Avadh Ojha was out to meet voters in Delhi’s Patparganj assembly constituency. Dressed in kurta-pajama and a sleeveless jacket replete with the yellow-and-blue scarf of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the poll debutant looked every bit of a dyed-in-the-wool politician.

Accompanied by a small group of supporters Thursday last week, Ojha stopped to speak with Rajesh Kumar, a local resident, who mentioned that his son Aman was a big fan of his coaching videos on YouTube. With a warm smile, Ojha responded: “Call him here. I would love to meet him.”

Moments later, as he posed for pictures with Rajesh and his family, Ojha turned to his supporters, saying that Aman was not alone. “I have someone like him in every home, and these connections will help us win Patparganj.”

Everything about this encounter encapsulates Ojha’s campaign strategy—one that blends personal connect, his reputation as an educator, and the AAP’s grassroots appeal to reach out to the people. Ojha is squaring off against Ravinder Negi of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Anil Chaudhary of the Congress.

The constituency was represented thrice by former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, who is contesting from Jangpura this time. Voting will take place on 5 February, while the results will be out on 8 February.

In a conversation with The Print, Ojha shared his plans for Patparganj if elected by its residents. The AAP candidate envisions transforming the East Delhi constituency into a Kota-like coaching hub, a place with world-class infrastructure so that the youth from across Delhi can come to pursue their dreams of cracking various competitive exams.

“Many students here cannot afford to travel outside for coaching. So if I am voted to power, I will chalk out a plan to make Patparganj a coaching hub so that students will get quality guidance here itself,” the 49-year-old, originally from Uttar Pradesh, told ThePrint.

Ojha also promises to revamp local roads to match the quality of those seen in the cities abroad, a commitment backed by his former students who are campaigning as volunteers for their ‘Guru ji’ in Patparganj.

Shah Faisal, the co-founder of coaching centre IQRA IAS, is among the volunteers taking the AAP’s and Ojha’s message to the voters. “We are talking about Guru ji’s qualities in each and every home. We are mentioning his vision for education for youths. His personal connection with the youth is encouraging their parents,” Faisal told ThePrint.

The MBA graduate’s ties with Ojha goes back to 2017 when he attended the latter’s Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) coaching sessions.

AAP candidate Avadh Ojha holds a meeting at a worker's house in Mayur Vihar, Phase 2 | Prashant Srivastava | ThePrint
AAP candidate Avadh Ojha holds a meeting at a worker’s house in Mayur Vihar, Phase 2 | Prashant Srivastava | ThePrint

Hailing from Uttar Pradesh’s Gonda district, Ojha shifted to Delhi in the late 1990s to become an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer but this dream remained unfulfilled. That led him to a career in teaching UPSC aspirants in the national capital.

“Ojha taught for 20 years in many UPSC coaching institutes including Vajirao. Later in 2018, he found his own coaching Iqra IAS in Pune,” a close aide said. “He is well-known for relating mythology and politics with studies. In his viral reels, he mostly cites examples from mythology or politics while teaching history.”

The AAP candidate encourages the youth to engage in politics with a purpose. “Study hard, qualify for IAS, and then step into politics. This country needs educated leaders. Do not wait for someone else to take the lead,” he said in his message to the young voters.

To a query on whether the UPSC exam pattern is now a burden on civil service aspirants, Ojha firmly says no to this common refrain. “UPSC is a competition. In such a tough competition, you need a certain pattern. It is not a school exam; its range is vast.”


Also Read: Why Congress is so hesitant about showcasing 3-time Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit in its poll campaign 


Ramayana’s lessons, Kejriwal’s schemes

It is his penchant for falling back to mythology and politics that Ojha keeps citing examples from the Ramayana and lines from the Bhagavad Gita in speech after speech at public meetings.

He argues that Lord Rama advised Laxmana to get knowledge from Ravana. “So, what’s wrong in praising your adversary if he is knowledgeable? If I find anything good about other party leaders, I praise them,” Ojha says in defence of old videos wherein he lauds Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

Another recurring theme in Ojha’s interactions with the electorate is the AAP’s welfare schemes such as subsidies on electricity, water, and free bus rides for women.

“(AAP chief Arvind) Kejriwal is not only highly educated, but he is also a Baniya by caste, someone who knows how to save public money. We can see in Delhi that his government has saved money by keeping a lease on luxurious events and investing it in the public welfare schemes. Due to these schemes, the common man’s spending on health and education is also checked,” he says.

In his own words, Ojha’s decision to align with the AAP stems from his admiration for Kejriwal’s educational reforms, which, he believes, resonate with his vision for Delhi.

There were speculations earlier that he was in talks with the BJP and the Congress in Uttar Pradesh during the last year’s general elections. Instead, he officially joined the AAP in December ahead of the Delhi elections.

“I’m a ‘Maukatarian’ (a Portmanteau for an opportunist). Wherever I see a good opportunity, I take it,” he conceded. “And, the AAP offers the best platform for my ideals.”

As for his inspiration in politics, the coaching mentor mentions former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, social reformer B.R. Ambedkar, and socialist icon Ram Manohar Lohia as his role models. “I believe in doing politics of principles. I don’t give any statement against other party leaders. I don’t believe in such petty politics.”

Ojha is quick to defend the AAP announcing a slew of populist measures, a point raised repeatedly by detractors who call it as a promotion of ‘revdi’ (freebies) culture. On Monday, Kejriwal released the party’s poll manifesto featuring 15 guarantees that include jobs to the youth.

“The AAP’s initiatives are unique. Copying them without understanding their impact won’t work. The trust that Delhi’s people, especially women, have in Arvind Kejriwal is unparalleled,” he asserts.

While returning from a meeting in West Vinod Nagar, a 48-year-old woman stopped him. She invited him to her house where the AAP candidate handed her a calendar featuring him. Her request to Ojha was to focus on problems related to sewer lines in the area.

“Kejriwal ji already promised to make new sewer lines in every area. Now, people will get 24-hour clean water,” he promptly said. “Kejriwal is the only leader in India who accepts mistakes. He recently accepted that he was unable to do much for the Yamuna’s cleanliness, but he will do so if voted to power again. Have you ever heard of any other leader accepting mistakes?”

Any question on Sisodia’s candidature from a new constituency is met with a well-balanced response. “Sisodia would have won this seat again though the last election was a close contest. He is a charismatic person,” Ojha says. “I chose Patparganj because I know many local families here. Several families are from my Gonda district (in UP). When they got to know I am coming to contest, they started campaigning for me.”‘

In 2020, Sisodia edged past his BJP rival by a little over 3,000 votes. The AAP bigwig had faced anxious moments till the tide turned in his favour in the 13th round of vote counting.

At one of the many AAP meetings, Somendra Sharma, a resident of West Vinod Nagar, seemingly mirrored the overriding sentiments of the voters. Sisodia, he said, was popular but mostly busy with Kejriwal in handling matters of the party.

“We need someone who is available daily to listen to us. It seems like both Ojha and Negi will be available (to the constituents). There’s a direct contest between the AAP and the BJP. But, the Congress candidate will cut away votes, thereby impacting the results,” Sharma added.

(Edited by Tony Rai)


Also Read: Up against Kejriwal, Congress’s Sandeep Dikshit hits streets to remind voters of ‘Sheila ji wali Delhi’


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