Kejriwal Resigns as Delhi CM: Atishi to Succeed in a bold political move

Kejriwal Resigns as Delhi CM: Atishi to Succeed in a bold political move

KAKALI DAS

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In a major political development, Arvind Kejriwal has resigned as the Chief Minister of Delhi after serving for nine years. Atishi, from the Aam Aadmi Party, will succeed him in the role.

He made this surprising announcement on Sunday, which is being viewed as a major political gamble by analysts. Kejriwal stated that he would resign in two days, and this development followed closely after the Supreme Court granted him bail in the Delhi liquor scam.

Here’s why Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal has decided to take this bold gamble. But first, a brief background.

Kejriwal and other Aam Aadmi Party leaders are accused of designing a liquor policy in Delhi a few years ago that allegedly favored certain parties in exchange for bribes or kickbacks. It is claimed that the money obtained was used to support the Aam Aadmi Party’s election victories in Punjab and Goa. As a result of these accusations, several individuals, including Arvind Kejriwal, were arrested.

On Friday, the Supreme Court ruled that keeping Kejriwal in jail violated his personal liberty, particularly given that the trial is expected to take years. Following this decision, Arvind Kejriwal was released from jail.

However, the bail granted by the court came with conditions. It prohibited him from visiting the Chief Minister’s office in the Delhi Secretariat and restricted him from signing official documents unless absolutely necessary, with prior permission from Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor. Essentially, these conditions limited his ability to effectively function as Chief Minister.

The Lieutenant Governor, appointed by the BJP, is the one who pushed for the investigation and arrest in this case. With very limited room to function, Kejriwal made an unexpected move on Sunday. In a surprise announcement at the party office, he declared that he would resign as Chief Minister of Delhi and called for early elections in the state.

Kejriwal stated, “I have come to the people’s court. Is Kejriwal innocent or guilty? If I have served you well, vote for me. I will only sit on the Chief Minister’s chair after the people give me a certificate of honesty. I want to give an ‘agnipariksha’ after coming out of jail.”

It’s interesting how politicians often refer to themselves in the third person (lol).

Anyway, it’s intriguing to note the timing of his activities after being released from jail. Kejriwal, known for his shrewdness, was seen visiting a Hanuman temple. He then emphasized his battle for honesty, appealing to the people of Delhi for absolution and calling for early elections.

He effectively stated that every vote would serve as a certificate of his honesty and innocence, saying, “Gunehgar ya imandar, janta will decide” (whether guilty or honest, the people will decide).

So, why did he start this strategy? Kejriwal is highly politically astute. According to reporters who have been tracking public sentiment in Delhi ahead of the elections scheduled for February, people in the slums—who benefit from the Delhi government’s initiatives like free electricity and improved education, with Atishi playing a key role—express significant sympathy for Kejriwal. They feel he is being obstructed from doing his work and believe he genuinely wants to continue delivering impactful governance.

However, it seems that the middle class in Delhi has lost faith in the Aam Aadmi Party. Despite the party’s initial rise to power on the platform of anti-corruption, following Anna Hazare’s protests and Kejriwal’s nine years as Chief Minister, the middle class appears to have grown disillusioned with the party.

These corruption allegations, regardless of whether they are proven in court, have ultimately damaged the Aam Aadmi Party’s entire image.

Arvind Kejriwal has called for the Delhi election to be held alongside Maharashtra’s in November this year, rather than in February next year as scheduled. However, this decision rests with the Election Commission, which is unlikely to act on Kejriwal’s request. Additionally, even if he wanted to dissolve the assembly, he would need the Lieutenant Governor’s permission to do so.

In his speech, Kejriwal compared himself to Bhagat Singh and likened the BJP to British colonial rule. His aim is to shift the narrative, recognizing that he faces anti-incumbency and needs a fresh perspective for the upcoming election. By doing so, he is attempting to redirect the narrative and assert his innocence.

The second objective he is targeting is garnering sympathy for what he perceives as unjust jailing, not just for himself but for his party colleagues as well. However, as Neerja Chaudhary noted in The Indian Express, such sympathy may fade over time. The longer the election is delayed, the less impactful the sympathy will seem, as people may focus more on Kejriwal’s comfortable home life.

However, it’s important to note that his resignation and departure from the Chief Minister’s seat might actually grant him a higher moral ground and generate more sympathy among the people of Delhi.

In fact, a leader from the Aam Aadmi Party was quoted by The Indian Express as saying that the resignation is crucial due to Kejriwal’s image as a figure who emerged with a promise to fight corruption.

“Once the entire narrative and propaganda around these corruption allegations and the arrests that followed hit home over the last several months, even our own supporters seemingly started to believe that there must be some truth in these allegations. Zero tolerance for corruption is at the core of Kejriwal’s politics and, by extension, the AAP. This step was necessary to reclaim that ground,” said a party leader.

Abhay Dubey, a professor at the Delhi Center for Developing Society, says that the move will have a significant impact on the Delhi elections. Whether the elections are held as Kejriwal demands now or in February, it will inevitably alter the dynamics of the election. Kejriwal has effectively turned it into a referendum on himself rather than on the BJP’s current agenda.

AAP’s Saurabh Bharadwaj stated, “Many people may have seen more politics than I have seen. In the history of the world, this is the only Chief Minister who has resigned from his post and is saying that if I am honest, vote for me or else don’t vote for me.”

So, what will happen in the Delhi elections? The situation does shift the narrative, and positions the Aam Aadmi Party prominently in the news cycle. The BJP is responding by suggesting that this move is merely an attempt to distract from the corruption issues facing the party.

Here, Arvind Kejriwal is setting the agenda, forcing the BJP to respond. The BJP remains a formidable opponent for the Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi. Remember, Delhi voters typically support Prime Minister Modi in national elections and favour Arvind Kejriwal in state elections. The key question now is whether the BJP can alter this pattern and secure more votes.

The third point concerns the Congress party, which has been largely absent in the last two Delhi elections, where it’s been primarily AAP versus BJP. The question now is whether the Congress party can make any impact in this election, win seats, and re-establish itself in Delhi.

AAP minister Atishi, who will soon become the Chief Minister, clarified that the resignation is effective in two days due to the Eid holiday and a working day. However, many speculate that there may be other reasons behind the timing.

September 17, which was Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 74th birthday, saw Kejriwal hijack the news cycle by resigning on that specific day. While the Home Minister and other BJP ministers were highlighting the Prime Minister’s work and efforts on his birthday, Kejriwal managed to shift the focus entirely back to himself.

Another question to consider is why Kejriwal didn’t resign while he was in jail. He explained that he chose to resign now, rather than during his imprisonment, to protect democracy and resist the BJP’s attempts to undermine the Aam Aadmi Party by purchasing MLAs or arresting opposition chief ministers.

Kejriwal has played his trump card by explaining why he believes that resigning in this manner will help him win the next election.

There is another backroom rumour circulating among journalists, suggesting that now that Kejriwal is out of jail, he has the opportunity to campaign for the Haryana elections. The AAP and Congress are contesting separately in Haryana, with no alliance or understanding between them. If the AAP campaigns effectively, it could potentially cut into Congress’ votes rather than BJP’s. This is another angle to consider regarding Kejriwal’s swift release from jail.

AAP spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar told Scroll that the court granted Kejriwal bail under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, which is a rare occurrence. She added that Kejriwal will seek the people’s blessings before returning to the Chief Minister’s chair.

In the meantime, Atishi will assume the position of Chief Minister. She will be the third woman to hold this office in Delhi and the second woman Chief Minister currently serving in the country. Mamata Banerjee remains the only other woman Chief Minister in India at this time.

An interesting contest is now brewing in Delhi, as AAP’s Arvind Kejriwal emerges as a formidable opponent for the BJP.

18-09-2024

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