When Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal visited Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge here on Saturday, the political significance of the encounter was not missed on anyone. The discussion indicated that the two parties, who are rivals in Delhi and Punjab, have made headway on a difficult issue. Seat sharing between political parties is difficult. However, Kharge’s attire was what truly drew attention from online users.
The Karnataka-born Congress politician was wrapped up in a scarf to protect himself from Delhi’s bitter cold, which has been especially bad this year. Additionally, the way he wore it—covering his head—reminded people of Kejriwal’s signature look. Not very long ago, the chief minister of Delhi made a political statement by wearing a woolly scarf and engaging in protests while wearing a “Kejriwal muffler” around his head.
However, he had abandoned the look a few years prior. So much so that, two years ago, during a particularly bitter Delhi winter, many questioned why it was that Kejriwal was not sporting his signature muffler.In 2019, in response to a question on Twitter about why he had given up his signature look, he said, “I had taken the muffler off a long time back.” You failed to notice. It’s really chilly outside. Everyone, be careful.
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The political history of mufflers in Delhi
Upon the unexpected rise to prominence of Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party in 2013, his opponents in politics ridiculed his ‘common man’ manner, which included wearing his signature muffler around his head and ears.
Relentlessly, he and his group employed the muffler in conjunction with a basic sweater to strengthen Kejriwal’s persona as an everyday person. The AAP used the slogan “Muffler Man Returns” in their electoral campaign leading up to the 2015 election. The party won 67 of the 70 seats in the Delhi Assembly because the people connected with the name.
Since then, the #MufflerMan hashtag has been used by the Aam Aadmi Party to signal the arrival of winter.When Kejriwal’s house was raided by the CBI in December 2015, he joked that they would find nothing but “unaccounted mufflers” because the muffler had become so integral to his political persona.
Four years after disappearing from the political scene, Muffler has returned, this time on the back of a different person.
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