India Opposition Leader Arvind Kejriwal Resigns as Delhi Chief Minister
In one of the high-voltage political dramas, Arvind Kejriwal, one of the strongest opposition voices and the Chief Minister of Delhi, has resigned from office. The move comes just days after he was granted bail in a high-profile corruption case involving a now-scrapped alcohol sales policy. Kejriwal had always pleaded not guilty to the charges, which he dubbed as politically motivated.
The Case and Kejriwal's Response
Delhī Chief Minister spent five months in jail in connection with the policy. Undeterred by the legal tangles, Kejriwal has declared to seek rehabilitation of his post if people of Delhi again vote his Aam Admī Party to power in the forthcoming assembly elections. Saying that during a press conference, "I got justice from the legal court, now I will get justice from the people's court."
Atishi to Lead Delhi Government
After Kejriwal's resignation, the AAP announced that senior Delhi minister Atishi would take over as leader of the government. Atishi, a keen ally for Kejriwal, performed an important role in the party governance of Delhi.
AAP's Stronghold in Delhi
After its maiden political foray into the political battleground of Delhi in the 2013 assembly elections, Aam Aadmi Party has tightened its grip over the governance of the capital. People have liked most of the AAP's policies pertaining to cheaper electricity, water, and other welfare measures. In the 2020 elections, the party secured a landslide victory of 62 out of 70, almost repeating the performance of 2015 when the party had won 67 seats.
Kejriwal's Resignation: A Calculated Risk?
Announcing his intention to resign over the weekend, Kejriwal has declared he will only take up the mantle of Chief Minister when the people of Delhi give him what he termed a "certificate of honesty." He has called for advancing the Delhi elections, scheduled for February next year, to November, aligning them with elections in Maharashtra. Legal hurdles may, however, stand in the way, according to experts. As clarified above, the Indian election laws do not provide for conducting any election any time less than six months prior to the end of an assembly's term unless the house is dissolved beforehand.
Political Opposition and BJP's Criticism
In fact, Kejriwal has not spared himself from criticism when he resigned. The Bharatiya Janata Party, or the BJP led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, also AAP's main opposition in Delhi, termed the move of his resignation as a "publicity stunt" in order to garner sympathy among the masses. It feels that Kejriwal is using this to divert the attention against him regarding the corruption case filed against him.
The Corruption Case: AAP Leaders Under Scrutiny
Kejriwal is not the first AAP leader who has got into legal trouble in connection with the now-scrapped alcohol sales policy. Former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and another prominent AAP leader Sanjay Singh had been arrested in connection with the case. Sisodia was granted bail this August after spending 17 months in jail while Singh was released on bail in April.
What's Next for Delhi?
With Atishi assuming her new leadership position, besides the state assembly elections in the offing, the contours of the politics in the capital are going to change. Coming months are going to be quite crucial as AAP gears up to retain its citadel, while the BJP is vying to test the party's mettle in the capital. The coming election will not only decide the fate of the AAP rule in Delhi but may also have a ripple effect on the political climate of the country as a whole.
Conclusion
The resignation of Arvind Kejriwal marks a watershed moment in Delhi's political landscape. With the AAP chief preparing for a judicial onslaught by rallying people, the national capital is gearing up for one of the most fiercely contested and closely watched assembly elections.