Arvind Kejriwal’s self-imposed 48-hour deadline to resign as Delhi’s Chief Minister ends today, with a scheduled meeting with the Lieutenant Governor at 4:30 PM. It remains unclear who will succeed him.
After receiving bail from the Supreme Court on Friday, Kejriwal made a surprise announcement about stepping down to “clear his name in the people’s court.”
On Sunday, he declared his intention to resign in two days, stating, “I received justice in the legal court; now I will seek justice in the people’s court. I ask the people of Delhi, is Kejriwal innocent or guilty? If I have worked, vote for me.”
Despite multiple meetings on Sunday and Monday, no successor has been named yet. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is expected to announce by noon.
According to senior leader Saurabh Bhardwaj, on Monday, Kejriwal consulted the party’s Political Affairs Committee and held one-on-one discussions with several leaders.
Former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who has also vowed to step down, is out of consideration. Sisodia was arrested in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case and spent 18 months in jail before being granted bail.
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The list of potential candidates to succeed Arvind Kejriwal is headed by AAP’s prominent minister Atishi, with other names including Saurabh Bhardwaj, Raghav Chadha, Kailash Gahlot, and Sanjay Singh.
Kejriwal has pushed for a November election, aligning with Maharashtra’s elections. His party claims that the people are eager to re-elect him. However, assembly elections in Delhi are officially scheduled for February next year.
Even if Kejriwal is re-elected, his legal issues remain unresolved. The Supreme Court, while not requiring his resignation, has restricted him from performing key functions as Chief Minister, barring him from his office and from signing documents without the approval of Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena.
Kejriwal’s resignation announcement has drawn criticism from the BJP, questioning why he hasn’t stepped down “today.” Meanwhile, the Delhi Congress, AAP’s rivals despite the INDIA alliance, labeled the move a political stunt. “It would have been better if he had resigned during the floods and water shortages in Delhi,” remarked Delhi Congress chief Devendra Yadav.
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