On the train with Arvind Kejriwal: A first person account

n case you didn't know already, Arvind Kejriwal is an aam aadmi. After landing at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Domestic Airport, he took an auto-rickshaw to reach Andheri railway station.Contrary to reports, Arvind Kejriwal didn't board a packed Mumbai local train. In fact, he and his Aam Aadmi Party   members had an entire second-class compartment reserved for them when they boarded the 11.26 a.m. slow train bound for Churchgate from platform number two.

It's a different matter altogether that it was packed, much like a Virar fast, in a matter of minutes. A few male passengers, who were supposed to alight at Andheri were stuck as AAP volunteers, police officers and media professionals dashed into the compartment. Kejriwal got himself a window seat, much sought among passengers, as he undertook a 45-minute journey to south Mumbai.

Dressed in a blue shirt and grey pants with the quintessential Gandhi topi, the aam aadmi got some special treatment. Nobody was allowed to enter the compartment, heavily guarded by police, in the 14 stops between Andheri and Churchgate stations. Not that anyone could have got in given how crammed it was with people, majority of whom were men dressed in topis - white (AAP members) and khaki (policemen) - or holding cameras. Surrounded by AAP officials and volunteers, Kejriwal was spotted checking his diary for daily appointments which include a fund-raising meeting and a road show. Meanwhile, at Andheri station, the usual calm of taking a local quickly disappeared as I saw a crowd gathering.

My plan was to board the ladies compartment in the middle of the train. But it had to be changed when I realised that there was no possibility of reaching it without getting mobbed. For some it was just another day at work. Two lady cleaners were least bothered with all the frenzy and used the broom, AAP's symbol, to clean the platform. In the ladies compartment, I had the company of two gun-wielding police officers - a rare sight given that it was only 11.30 am. (Even at night, women passengers don't see two male guards.)

But they descended at the next stop, Vile Parle, given that the most important aam aadmi of the country was elsewhere in the train. The ladies seated next to me engaged in political discourse, covering topics such as India Vs China, reservation and the sad state of Indian politics. This was yet another rarity. Not many were pleased with the disruption caused by Kejriwal's arrival. Some commuters were heard swearing.

With the presence of a rising politician and great security, you'd think that the train would be terribly late but that wasn't the case. It started only four minutes behind schedule. That's hardly a delay, given that Mumbai trains are known to not be on time.

Once at Churchgate, Kejriwal couldn't alight because of the crowd gathered at station to welcome him. Stuck inside with his team, the train, now headed towards Borivali, had to be halted further to allow the crowd to disperse and Kejriwal and his team to leave. His party workers surely left their mark in more ways than necessary. The metal detectors at Churchgate station were damaged as they left the premises.