As has been a recurring theme in his career as a politician and activist, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal has taken a calculated risk by declaring his intention to resign as Delhi’s chief minister within the next two days and appointing a new party representative to the position.
In an attempt to outmanoeuvre the BJP, which approached President Droupadi Murmu earlier this month and demanded that the Delhi government be dismissed due to a “complete breakdown in governance” causing a “grave constitutional crisis” while the Chief Minister remained in judicial custody, Kejriwal made the shocking announcement that he would only return as Chief Minister if the people vote the AAP back into power.
“Speaking to my lawyers, I expressed my desire to give up the CM’s post till the time I get acquitted in the case. But they told me that the case may drag on for 10 years or even 20 years. So I have come to the people’s court. “I want them to give their verdict on whether they consider Kejriwal honest or guilty. Each and every vote for me will be my character certificate,” Kejriwal said in his speech at the AAP’s new headquarters at Pandit Ravi Shankar Shukla Lane in Delhi’s Lutyens zone.
When Kejriwal informed the AAP leadership two days ago about his decision, they were equally shocked. Kejriwal had spent over six months in Tihar Jail related to the excise policy case. Ultimately, Kejriwal had promised not to resign from the position of chief minister suddenly, having done so just 49 days into the AAP’s first term in office in Delhi in 2014.
The Delhi Assembly was dissolved as a result of Kejriwal’s public apology campaign in the lead-up to the 2015 assembly elections for his resignation as chief minister.
After spearheading an anti-corruption campaign in 2012, the AAP president shocked everyone by entering politics. At the time, he expressed sorrow for his choice and said he had no idea that the Centre would put off holding new elections in the nation’s capital.
“But this time, he is clear-eyed about the objectives behind his decision to resign. The bail conditions had made it impractical for him to continue as the CM. After all, he could not even visit the CM office. That was not an issue when he was in jail. But now that he is out, people would expect him to deliver as CM,” a senior AAP leader told news agency on Sunday.
In addition to making sure there are no roadblocks in the way of implementing new welfare schemes like monthly assistance for women, which has been hanging fire since March of this year when it was announced in the Delhi government’s annual budget—the idea behind the resignation, which will allow for the election of a new chief minister, is to create a wave of sympathy for Kejriwal ahead of the next assembly polls, which are scheduled for February 2025.
“The party could not have gone on complaining that look our hands are tied because the CM cannot sign files, or hold meetings at his own office. The continuation of existing welfare schemes and launch of new ones will generate goodwill for the party more than anything else. These schemes have made AAP the formidable force that it is today,” the leader quoted above added, explaining the rationale behind Kejriwal’s decision.
Kejriwal made it plain in his speech to AAP members on Sunday that, despite his demands, the legislature would not be dissolved and that elections be held in Delhi and Maharashtra in November. “Till elections are not held, someone else from the party will function as CM. The new leader will be picked in a meeting of the AAP legislature party,” he said.
Manish Sisodia, the former deputy chief minister who is currently free on bail in this case, was widely anticipated to be Kejriwal’s obvious successor. However, the AAP president disregarded that, stating that even Sisodia had expressed a desire to hold his current roles as education minister and deputy chief minister until he was exonerated of all charges related to the excise policy.
A portion of the AAP believes the action was taken to make room for Atishi, who now serves as the Delhi government’s chief minister and already oversees the crucial ministries of finance, tax, law and education, PWD, and water. Kejriwal mentioned the issue that had arisen after he wrote from jail to the L-G urging that Atishi be let to raise the Tricolour on Independence Day in lieu of him in his speech on Sunday.
The L-G had snubbed Kejriwal, turning down his request, and nominating Delhi Home Minister Kailash Gahlot to hoist the flag instead. The Delhi Cabinet has room for seven ministers, including the CM. If Atishi is elevated to the CM’s post, there will be room for inducting one more minister, which has usually been a face from the Dalit community.
Two well-known Dalit figures who were also ministers in the Delhi Cabinet have left the AAP in recent months: Rajendra Pal Gautam, who joined the Congress, and Raaj Kumar Anand, who joined the BSP before joining the BJP. The remaining Dalit faces in AAP include Delhi Assembly Deputy Speaker Rakhi Bidlan (Birla) and MLAs Girish Soni and Praveen Kumar.
