Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal may have attributed his party’s stunning victory in the Delhi state election to a “kudrati karishma”, but the mass of supporters gathered at Ramlila Maidan are less in awe of the huge mandate they have delivered.

Almost everyone you speak to makes it clear that the party’s win was not a so-called miracle of god but the result of a conscious decision on part of the voters to give AAP another chance.

A motley voter base came out in large numbers early today to witness Kejriwal take oath as Delhi’s chief minister. In a sharp contrast to the image of the traditional Indian voter beholden to its leader, the AAP supporters we met, know that in a democracy they are ultimately more powerful than the politicians they bring to power.

These jhaduwalahs then are no bhakts. They don’t think twice before stating that they would happily show AAP its place after five years in case the party does not perform. “Today 67, tomorrow 7 if they don’t work,” says a young girl in her twenties, visibly excited at the prospect of AAP coming to power in Delhi.

“Agar kaam nahin kiya, toh paanch saal baad phir button daba ke sabak sikhaenge [if they don’t work, we’ll press the button and teach them a lesson too],” says daily-wage labourer who has come from Badarpur town in the south-Delhi district. He adds that the BJP is becoming a party of “seths” and “sahukaars”: “Yeh result gareebon ka badla hai [this result is the revenge of the poor].”

Another group of men sitting together – all donning the AAP cap — state the prime reason they voted for AAP is that they want the party to regularise unauthorised colonies. “Our homes are destroyed, our possessions are thrown out on the road every other month. We want this to end, we want to live with dignity,” they say. What if the AAP doesn’t fulfil its promise? “See what happened to BJP and Congress,” they say in unison.

Given the formidable goals AAP has set itself in its manifesto, it is likely that  its spokespersons in the coming days will start making the careful distinction between what the party “set out” to do and what it “will” do. But it is certain that voters in Delhi will care little about intentions and judge the party on what it does achieve.

“Two things the AAP can’t afford to forget is to work for the common man and women’s security,” say a bunch of Delhi University students waving the Indian flag.

Women will matter

AAP’s newly-formed Cabinet has zero female representation, though women accounted for 53 per cent of AAP’s vote-share in the Delhi Assembly election, which itself crossed 50 per cent overall. The party actively wooed women voters in the run-up to the election by promising a safer capital. Women’s safety, in fact, was a pivotal issue weighing on the minds of Delhi voters. Even as the female AAP supporter is conspicuous by her absence at the Ramlila Ground, the party in the coming days must make every effort to listen to her.

Amid an overwhelmingly male crowd that has descended to witness Kejriwal’s swearing-in, a young girl in early twenties jostles her way in to get a seat right in front of one of the many LED screens installed at the ground for the crowd to get a closer look at the swearing-in ceremony. She takes out her smartphone and begins taking picture of Kejriwal.

“My mother told me not to come here alone fearing the crowd but I wanted to come,” she says. “I voted for Kejriwal and wanted to see him take the oath.”

Swati (23) and Pooja (22), both students of Delhi University say they are very hopeful of the new government and want the chief minister to do everything possible to make Delhi safe. “More than anything, the past few months of the BJP rule has led to a lot of insecurity among our Muslim and north-eastern friends. Talk of love jihad and making Sanskrit compulsory takes us back to medieval India. We want a progressive government,” says Pooja, who wants to take the civil services examination and perhaps join politics.

Rupali (25), another AAP voter, says she wants India to be corruption-free and can relate to the party since it has an educated leadership.

While this is the honeymoon phase for the AAP, the party can’t afford to waste much time before it hits the ground running to make good on the many promises it has made. The Delhi voter is clearly no push over. All eyes will be narrowed on AAP’s actions and governance will be scrutinised. If AAP slips up or doesn’t deliver, expect them to be voted out with a vengeance. Time won’t tell, AAP’s governance will.