“I am going to resign from the CM position after two days. I will not sit on the CM’s chair. In a few months, elections will be held in Delhi, and I want to make an appeal to the people. If you think Kejriwal is honest, then vote for me,” Kejriwal told party workers, days after the Supreme Court granted him bail in the excise policy case.
“If you think Kejriwal is guilty, then don’t vote for me. Your every vote will be a certificate of my honesty. If you vote for me and declare that Kejriwal is honest, then only after the elections will I sit on the CM’s chair. Until then, I will not sit on the CM’s chair. I want to give ‘agnipariksha’ after coming out of jail,” he added.
“Delhi elections are due in February but I demand that elections in the national capital be held in November with Maharashtra,” he said.
Kejriwal further indicated that his deputy Manish Sisodia will also return to office only after the people give a verdict in his favour. “I will become chief minister and Manish Sisodia deputy CM only when people say we are honest,” said the CM.
Referring to when he quit the chief minister’s post in 2014 over the Jan Lokpal Bill, just 49 days after assuming power, Kejriwal said, “I resigned then for my ideals. I do not have a lust for power.”
Strategic move or big risk?
Kejriwal framed his recent announcement as a moral stand, suggesting that he will not occupy the CM chair until he receives a “certificate of honesty” from the electorate.
Election experts said the move is likely aimed at addressing growing concerns about corruption and governance under Kejriwal’s leadership and also serves to rally the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and its supporters around a narrative of integrity and accountability.
AAP Goa head Amit Palekar said in a post on X: “Hats off sir @ArvindKejriwal for your decision to step down as Chief Minister, placing your political future in the hands of the public, is a powerful demonstration of your commitment to honest politics. Your call for the people of Delhi to decide your fate through their votes, rather than clinging to power, highlights your integrity and transparency.”
Kejriwal’s resignation will however mean that the party will have to choose a placeholder CM, and probably also a deputy CM, till the time elections are held.
Choosing a CM for just a few months has often led to a power tussle and big exits later, as was witnessed in Jharkhand recently between JMM’s Hemant Soren and Champai Soren, and in Bihar in 2014 after JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar reclaimed the top seat from Jitan Ram Manjhi.
Will elections be held early?
Currently, the term of the Delhi Legislative Assembly is set to end in February 2025.
However, the EC has the authority to call for early elections if it deems it necessary due to extraordinary circumstances.
Kejriwal’s call for elections in November 2024 aligns with the electoral calendar of other states, such as Maharashtra and Jharkhand, which could provide a strategic advantage for AAP if they can capitalise on a broader anti-establishment sentiment.
However, the EC has historically preferred to adhere to established electoral timelines unless there is a compelling reason to intervene. The poll panel usually assesses the stability of governance.
The AAP currently commands a majority in the legislative assembly, occupying a whopping 62 of the 70 seats.
While Kejriwal’s resignation may create a political vacuum, it does not automatically trigger immediate or even preponed elections.
PR stunt, says BJP
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been vocal in its criticism of Kejriwal, labeling his resignation a “PR stunt” aimed at salvaging his image amid corruption allegations.
The BJP has a well-established political infrastructure in Delhi, and if elections are held, it could potentially benefit from a divided electorate, especially if AAP’s internal dynamics lead to a weakened campaign.
BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari claimed that Kejriwal wants to apply the “Sonia Gandhi model, where she made Manmohan Singh a dummy Prime Minister and ran the government from behind the scenes”.
“This is a PR stunt of Arvind Kejriwal. He has understood that his image among the people of Delhi is not of an honest leader but of a corrupt leader, today Aam Aadmi Party is known across the country as a corrupt party. Under his PR stunt, he wants to restore his image…It is clear that he wants to apply the Sonia Gandhi model, where she made Manmohan Singh a dummy Prime Minister and ran the government from behind the scenes. They have understood today that the Aam Aadmi Party is losing the Delhi elections and the people of Delhi cannot vote in their name, so they want to make someone else a scapegoat,” Bhandari said.
BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa alleged that Kejriwal is not sacrificing anything and is forced to resign due to the Supreme Court’s order. Sirsa further claimed that Kejriwal had asked for two days to convince all MLAs to make his wife the Chief Minister of Delhi.
“Arvind Kejriwal has announced that he will resign after two days and become the CM again when he gets a verdict from the people… This is not a sacrifice, the Supreme Court has said in the order that he cannot go near the CM’s chair and cannot sign any files. Hence, you don’t have an option, you are forced to resign because of the SC order. The people gave their verdict 3 months ago when you asked ‘jail or bail’, you lost all 7 (Lok Sabha seats in Delhi) and were sent to jail… Now he has asked for a two-day time because he is convincing all MLAs to make his wife the CM… He is forced to leave his chair because he is involved in the liquor scam,” Sirsa said.
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