Will Kejriwal step down today? Meeting with L-G this evening
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's self-imposed 48-hour deadline to resign from his post ends on Tuesday. He is scheduled to meet Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena at 4:30pm. To recall, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo had announced his decision to step down on Sunday, two days after being granted bail by the Supreme Court in a corruption case related to Delhi's excise policy.
Kejriwal's successor remains unknown amid meetings
Kejriwal's successor remains unknown despite a series of meetings held on Sunday and Monday. On Monday, Kejriwal sought the views of the party's Political Affairs Committee and had one-on-one discussions with some leaders, according to senior leader Saurabh Bhardwaj. Notably, his former deputy Manish Sisodia has pledged not to take up the post until proven innocent in court.
Potential successors and Kejriwal's election request
The list of potential successors for the chief minister's post includes prominent AAP minister Atishi, Bhardwaj, Raghav Chadha, Kailash Gahlot, and Sanjay Singh. Separately, Kejriwal has requested a November election alongside Maharashtra's. The AAP has expressed confidence that the people are eager to re-elect him. However, his re-election will not resolve his legal issues as the Supreme Court has restricted him from functioning fully as a chief minister without Lieutenant Governor Saxena's consent.
Kejriwal's arrest and bail in corruption case
Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 21 and then by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on June 25 over corruption allegations in the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy. He was granted a 21-day interim bail in May by the top court for Lok Sabha elections campaigning. Last week, he was granted interim bail by the Supreme Court in the CBI case against him.
'My morale has grown 100 times': Kejriwal
Kejriwal walked out of Tihar Jail on Friday, over six months after his arrest in the case. He was greeted by cheers of celebration from his supporters and senior AAP leaders who chanted "Kejriwal Zindabad." Addressing the crowd in the rain, Kejriwal said his morale and strength have gone up 100 times since his imprisonment. He also thanked those who came to support him despite the rain.
