Arvind Kejriwal’s shock announcement, three days after walking out of jail on being granted bail by the Supreme Court, that he would resign as Delhi Chief Minister within 48 hours is a calculated gamble by the wily Aam Aadmi Party leader. By ostensibly going to the people to receive a certificate for honesty, Kejriwal is hoping to cash in on the sympathy factor. During his incarceration in the liquor policy case, he had steadfastly refused to step down as CM, saying that the court had not issued any strictures against his continuation. His decision to quit as CM now comes as the top court while granting bail laid down conditions that he could not visit his office or sign any files. If he continued as CM no doubt governance would have been badly hit making the AAP unpopular among its constituents. With a new CM, welfare schemes can be rolled out ahead of polls. Though Manish Sisodia was the expected choice to replace Kejriwal, he too is out on bail and like the CM would be embroiled in legal battles that could stretch on for years on end, so they have decided that they would await the people’s verdict. Kejriwal’s announcement that AAP MLAs would choose a CM to replace him till the next election has created much speculation on who would succeed him. There is a strong buzz that Atishi who already holds the important portfolios of finance, revenue, law and education, PWD and water would be the likely choice but other names being bandied about are those of Raghav Chadha and Saurabh Bharadwaj.
Kejriwal’s announcement was met with scepticism by the Opposition BJP which claimed it was just a gimmick. While not calling for dissolving the Assembly, Kejriwal has appealed for early elections. Polls are due in Delhi in February 2025 but Kejriwal has called for advancing them to November this year along with the Maharashtra and Jharkhand elections. The Election Commission may not oblige but in the unlikely event that polls are called early, the AAP has had very little time to prepare with their top leaders behind bars for several months. Amid the daily tussle between the LG and the Delhi government, it remains to be seen who emerges the victor. When Kejriwal had stepped down as chief minister in February 2014 after a 49-day stint over failure to get the Lokpal Bill passed, it led to a spell of President’s rule. He expressed regret and repeatedly apologised to the people of Delhi for stepping down when elections were called in 2015. The AAP stormed to power winning 67 of the 70 seats with the BJP reduced to just three seats and the Congress failing to open its account. It is this kind of people’s power that Kejriwal hopes to garner again as Delhi is headed for an election of immense magnitude.
