Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal stunned everyone a few days after being released from Tihar Jail in Delhi by doing something unexpected. In two days, he promised to step down. That was unexpected because he had consistently rejected the BJP’s demand that he resign as chief minister.
“Until the people declare their decision, I will not sit in that chair… I shall now receive justice from the people’s court after receiving justice from the legal court. “I will take the Chief Minister’s seat only upon the people’s directive,” stated AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal.
Why is Kejriwal stepping down as chief minister while the Supreme Court granted him a hard bail and allowed him to leave Tihar Jail?
The choice to step down and demand early elections can be viewed as a political one, as Arvind Kejriwal sought to accomplish a number of goals, including clearing the corruption stain, defeating the incumbent, and capitalizing on the anti-BJP momentum in the opposition camp.
NOTHING TO DISCOVER. MEETING OF THE DELHI ASSEMBLY JUST MONTHS AWAY
The election for the Delhi Assembly was scheduled for February of 2025. Kejriwal is attempting to regain power in Delhi with his resignation and demand for earlier election dates, given that there are fewer than five months left in the current term.
In any case, Kejriwal would not have been able to serve as the Chief Minister under the strict bail requirements set by the Supreme Court.
“February is when the elections are scheduled to take place. Kejriwal made his plans known when he declared, “I demand elections be held in November with Maharashtra elections.”
The election of a new Chief Minister will benefit Kejriwal, even if it takes place in February instead of November as he would want. The AAP is essentially run by one person, and it is well known that Kejriwal would supervise any CM.
For a very short while, it will be a Kejriwal show with a new face.
Kejriwal may be hoping to mobilize his supporters and earn public sympathy by stepping down, which might lead to electoral victories in the next polls.
A DROP TO REDUCE THE CORRUPTION TAINT OF AAP
The persistent claims of corruption against Kejriwal, his former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, and other AAP members may have been a major factor in his resignation. The AAP has suffered greatly as a result of the excise policy case, with both leaders having to deal with court cases and public criticism.
Born out of an anti-corruption campaign in 2011, the AAP and its leader, Arvind Kejriwal, would seek to turn the tables on his detractors by distancing himself from these accusations and seeking a new mandate from the people through his resignation.
The party made hints about Kejriwal’s plan, which may involve framing his resignation as a sort of “agnipariksha,” or trial by fire, in which he would seek to use the public’s judgment to establish his integrity. It might win him compassion and support and establish him as a leader ready to accept the verdict of the people rather than clinging to power through corruption.
Attempt to overcome anti-incumbency and revive AAP
Delhi’s Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal, has held the position since December 2013, with the exception of a year in which the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was ruled by the Central government (2014–2015). Anti-incumbency is most likely going to be a big obstacle for the AAP in their bid for reelection. Kejriwal is trying to avoid this issue by quitting and proposing early elections.
Furthermore, Kejriwal is effectively ending his term in office by resigning and asking for a new mandate. This would free him from the burden of a ten-year incumbency and enable him to campaign with a clean slate and a new face as the candidate for chief minister, emphasizing the accomplishments of his party and its future plans.
Under the direction of the national convenor, who has since left jail, the impending resignation would also enable the AAP to strengthen the party’s unity and strategy.
Attempting to benefit from the opposition’s anti-BJP buzz
The Delhi Legislative Assembly’s current term is scheduled to end in February 2025, but Kejriwal has called for elections in November 2024, which coincides with state assembly election timetables in Maharashtra and Jharkhand.
Following the 2024 Lok Sabha election, there is a growing dissatisfaction with the ruling BJP in the political atmosphere.
The Maratha reservation problem is only one of the many grievances that the BJP, which is a component of the current Maharashtra administration led by Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar’s NCP, is dealing with.
Similar efforts have been made by the BJP in Jharkhand to unseat the Mahagathbandhan, which is run by the JMM. The BJP has not demonstrated much success in Jharkhand in the recent past.
Hemant Soren’s release on bail is another boost for the opposition ahead of the Jharkhand Assembly elections.
Kejriwal wants Delhi elections in November so that he can capitalize on the Opposition’s attacks in other states.
The AAP may be attempting to seize on larger anti-BJP sentiment, which will be amplified by the Maharashtra and Jharkhand elections. Kejriwal’s resignation and proposal for early polls may have been timed intentionally to capitalize on the anti-BJP sentiment in Delhi’s 70-seat Assembly election.
The coordinated anti-BJP storylines may intensify campaign noise, allowing the AAP to develop a stronger opposition narrative ahead of the Delhi elections.
Kejriwal might have avoided centralized rule in Delhi.
One of the most important reasons for Kejriwal’s departure could be the impending threat of Central Rule. While Kejriwal remained imprisoned for months, some BJP officials advocated the imposition of President’s rule in Delhi, citing the inability to carry out day-to-day governance affairs. The BJP also attacked Kejriwal, claiming that he had clung to power for too long.
Given Kejriwal’s bail conditions, the national government, led by the BJP, might have cited policy gridlock following his release last week if he had remained as Delhi Chief Minister. Furthermore, implementing central rule might push out the Delhi polls by much to six months.
Continuing under strict bail restrictions had already limited the AAP government’s ability to implement crucial initiatives, potentially harming the party’s election prospects.
While bailing out Kejriwal, the Supreme Court barred him from visiting the Chief Minister’s office and the Secretariat. “The only files he [Kejriwal] must and does sign are those that must be submitted to the Lieutenant Governor,” Arvind Kejriwal’s counsel in the liquor policy issue, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, told India Today TV.
Kejriwal not only avoided the imposition of central rule, but also gave the AAP an edge by announcing his resignation two months before the Delhi Assembly election.
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