New Delhi: A decade after he first resigned as chief minister of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)’s 49-day government in February 2014, Arvind Kejriwal will step down as the head of the Delhi government again on Tuesday (September 17), just days after he was granted bail by the Supreme Court in the alleged liquor policy case.
On Tuesday (September 17), Kejriwal proposed the name of Delhi Minister Atishi as his successor to the chief minister’s post.
The move comes as, Kejriwal who has in the last decade been elected twice as Delhi chief minister with a resounding majority on both occasions, looks to blunt allegations of corruption levelled against him by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and regain lost ground ahead of state assembly elections scheduled for February 2025, while seeking to restore his image of an anti-corruption crusader.
“Kejriwal has got bail from the ED (Enforcement Directorate) court which said that the ED was acting with bias, the Supreme Court has granted bail and said that the CBI must show it is an uncaged parrot. Kejriwal has only earned respect and not come to politics to earn money,” Priyanka Kakkar, AAP chief national spokesperson told The Wire
“So what has really troubled him is that his respect is very dear to him and his image has been maligned by the BJP. Hence he wants to go back to the people of Delhi and say that only if I am imaandar (honest), then bring me back to power,” Kakkar added .
Two days after he was granted bail by the Supreme Court in the liquor policy case, Kejriwal in his first address to party workers upon his release on Sunday said that he would tender his resignation. Kejriwal said though the Supreme Court has granted him bail, he has been barred from performing duties as the chief minister.
“Some people say that we will not be able to work because of restrictions imposed by the Supreme Court. Even they did not leave any stone unturned in imposing restrictions on us… If you think I am honest, vote for me in large numbers. I will sit on the chief minister’s chair only after being elected,” he said.
“The elections are supposed to be held in February. I demand elections be held in November with Maharashtra elections… Till elections are held, someone else from the party will be the chief minister. In the next two-three days, a meeting of the MLAs will be held, where the next chief minister will be elected.”
On Monday (September 16), Kejriwal had called a meeting of the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) which was attended by all cabinet ministers and senior leaders and held one-on-one discussions on the next chief minister.
It was finally decided on Tuesday (September 17) that AAP leader Atishi will be the new Chief minister of Delhi.
While granting bail on his plea challenging his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the Delhi liquor policy case, the Supreme Court on Friday (September 13) said that Kejriwal cannot make any public comment on the merits of the case, cannot attend office or sign any official files and is prohibited from interacting with witnesses or having access to files related to the case.
Despite calls for his resignation while he was in jail, Kejriwal continued to hold office. According to the AAP, stepping down then would send a “signal” to the country.
“If Kejriwal had resigned while he was in jail that would give a signal to the country that he has been intimidated by the BJP that an opposition government can be taken down by slapping PMLA cases and sending the chief minister in jail,” said Kakkar.
“When he was in jail they (BJP) wanted him to resign, now that he is resigning they are calling it a PR stunt. They don’t understand AAP or its leaders. As a strategy, which chief minister will give up his seat? He is not interested in the seat. He has come with a vision and will work towards executing that vision.”
“Desperate attempt”
Kejriwal is the latest among the AAP leaders who were jailed in connection with the liquor policy case to have been released on bail. Earlier, former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia was granted bail, as was AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh. The move to now go to the people in a referendum of sorts against the taint of corruption against him and his party that had come to power on the back of anti-corruption crusade is being seen by observers as an attempt to blunt the opposition BJP’s attack on one hand, while resurrecting his image on the other.
“It is just drama, a desperate act to salvage the party’s prestige and damage control nothing more,” said journalist Ashutosh who is also a former member of AAP.
“These things won’t work anymore because people have changed, society has changed. Moreover how many times will this resignation drama work?”
Kejriwal had earlier resigned as chief minister of his 49-day government in February 2014 over the non-introduction of the Jan Lokpal Bill, following which President’s Rule was imposed in Delhi. In 2015 the AAP returned to power winning 67 of 70 assembly seats, with the BJP winning only 3. In 2020, AAP repeated its victory winning 62 seats but the BJP bettered its tally by winning 8 seats.
“Now the people will decide about him and his work on the basis of the performance of his government, but I don’t see this move cutting much ice with the people. The BJP has been pushing him to resign and he has almost succumbed to that pressure,” said Ashutosh.
“This (move to resign) is basically to paint himself as a martyr that look I am an honest person but the BJP has been out to kill my party, imprison me, my deputy and other members of my party. It did not work before the Lok Sabha elections when he was out (of jail) and he was campaigning. There was no sympathy for him, people were not out on the streets. The brand called Kejriwal and Aam Aadmi Party has devalued but it is upto the BJP to counter it. But if the BJP does not have a face then obviously that will be advantageous to the AAP,” he added.
For the BJP, which has been out of power in Delhi for over three decades, despite its victories in the national capital in successive Lok Sabha elections, Kejriwal’s move to step down, is a “stunt” that has presented an opening for the party to show in the upcoming elections the ineffectiveness of his government.
“This is yet another stunt. On one hand he is hailing the Supreme Court for giving him bail, on the other hand he is saying he will go to the people. How can the people decide on a matter which relates to corruption or money laundering. In India rule of law prevails. Is he suggesting a referendum of sorts?” Shazia Ilmi, spokesperson, BJP told The Wire.
“If Arvind wants early elections he has to give the rationale about why the elections should be in November and not in February. In that case he will have to go to the people and say that he is petrified about the trial against him because he knows that he will be indicted and will go behind the bars. I think people have understood what he stands for. And as far as the BJP is concerned, we will not just talk about corruption but the water shortage in the capital, flooding, pollution and the complete ineffectiveness of his governance as a whole,” added Ilmi.
“Mandate in the form of vindication”
According to observers, Kejriwal’s move to go to the people is to seek a mandate in the form of vindication from the allegations against him in connection with the liquor policy case.
“Kejriwal has transformed from an activist to a seasoned politician and this is a pointer in that direction. He understood the allegations of liquor scam and judicial pronouncements restricting his role as chief minister actually tarnished and impacted his image so this is just to retrieve some lost ground and (he) has opted for this in looking for a mandate as a vindication of his alleged involvement or non involvement in the liquor scam,” said senior journalist Rasheed Kidwai.
With Kejriwal demanding early elections, he is once again looking at the people to restore his credibility.
“In India, in any case the mandate theory works. When a leader gets elected, it glosses over all acts of omission or commission that may have been committed and it is said that the people have given them a clean chit. Whether it is Modi in 2002 (who was accused of being inept in handling the Gujarat riots) or Mahua Moitra (who was expelled from the Lok Sabha) in 2024. It is a political judgement, it may be inappropriate but it works across party lines,” said Kidwai.
