Arvind Kejriwal Announces Resignation as Chief Minister of Delhi

In a surprising development, Arvind Kejriwal has announced his decision to resign from his position as the Chief Minister of Delhi. This announcement was made on Sunday, with Kejriwal stating that he will vacate his office in the coming two days. He emphasized that he will only return to the role after receiving a fresh mandate from the public in upcoming elections.

Kejriwal, who addressed the public shortly after his release from jail, expressed his willingness to do whatever it takes to win the people’s trust again. He highlighted the need for assembly elections to be advanced from the planned date in February 2025 to November 2024, aligning them with the elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand.

During his speech, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader criticized the central government, accusing it of being more oppressive than colonial rulers. He claimed that his recent imprisonment was an attempt by the central authorities to destabilize the AAP and to force him to step down. Despite these challenges, he assured party supporters that he had not resigned while imprisoned to uphold the democratic process.

Kejriwal also mentioned that his colleague Manish Sisodia, who is involved in a legal case related to the liquor policy and was recently granted bail, will not hold any governmental position. Sisodia, like Kejriwal, will wait until a new mandate is secured.

The stepping down of Kejriwal marks a significant shift in Delhi’s political landscape. A meeting among AAP’s Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) is expected to take place within the next few days to decide on an interim chief minister for Delhi until elections are held.

Criticisms from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have surfaced, with spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari suggesting that Kejriwal’s move is a public relations tactic meant to salvage his diminishing reputation amidst corruption allegations against the AAP.