Kejriwal’s move to resign is a political sixer. 5 big reasons why

A couple of days after his release from Delhi’s Tihar Jail, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal surprised all with the unexpected. He said he would resign in two days. That was a surprise because all this while, he had resisted the demand from the BJP to quit the CM’s post.
“I will not sit on that chair till the people announce their verdict… I got justice from the legal court, now I will get justice from the people’s court. I will sit in the Chief Minister’s chair only after the order of the people,” Kejriwal, the AAP national convener, said.
Why is Kejriwal resigning as the CM when he has been released from Tihar Jail by the Supreme Court, albeit with tough bail conditions?
From removing the corruption taint to beating anti-incumbency to gaining from the anti-BJP momentum in the Opposition camp, Arvind Kejriwal, the decision to resign and call for early elections can be seen as a political sixer.
The Delhi Assembly election was slated for February 2025. With less than five months left, Kejriwal’s move to resign and call for the advancement of election dates is an attempt to return to power in Delhi.
Anyway, the Supreme Court’s tough bail conditions would not have allowed Kejriwal to act as the Chief Minister.
“The elections are supposed to be held in February. I demand elections be held in November with Maharashtra elections,” Kejriwal said, making his intentions clear.
The timing of the resignation announcement is crucial as it allows him to position himself as a victim of what he and his party term as “vendetta politics” by the BJP-led central government.
Even if the elections are held in February, rather than November as Kejriwal prefers, having a different Chief Minister will work to his advantage. The AAP is mostly a one-man show, and that any CM would work under Kejriwal’s guidance is no secret.
It will be a Kejriwal show with a different face, that too for a very brief period.
By stepping down, Kejriwal might be aiming to galvanise public sympathy and mobilise his base, potentially translating into electoral gains in the upcoming polls.
One of the primary reasons behind Kejriwal’s resignation could be the ongoing corruption allegations against him, his former Deputy Chief Minister, Manish Sisodia, and others from AAP. The excise policy case has been a thorn in the side of the AAP, with both leaders facing legal battles and public scrutiny.
The AAP, which was born out of an anti-corruption movement in 2011, its leader, Kejriwal, by stepping down, would aim to distance himself from these allegations and seek a fresh mandate from the people, effectively turning the tables on his critics.
Kejriwal’s strategy, which the party hinted at, might be to present his resignation as a form of ‘agnipariksha’ or trial by fire, where he would look to prove his honesty through the public’s verdict. It could garner sympathy and support, and position him as a leader willing to face the people’s judgment rather than clinging to power under a cloud of corruption.
Arvind Kejriwal has been the Chief Minister of Delhi since December 2013, with his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) holding power continuously, except for a year under Central rule (2014-2015). Anti-incumbency is, most probably, a significant challenge for the AAP seeking re-election. By resigning and calling for early elections, Kejriwal is attempting to preempt this issue.
Moreover, by stepping down and seeking a fresh mandate, Kejriwal is essentially resetting the clock on his tenure. This would allow him to campaign on a clean slate, with a fresh CM face, focusing on his party’s achievements and future promises rather than being bogged down by the baggage of a decade-long incumbency.
The upcoming resignation would also allow the AAP to consolidate the party’s unity and strategy, under the national convenor’s watch, who has walked out of the jail after sometime.
The current term of the Delhi Legislative Assembly is set to conclude in February 2025, but Kejriwal’s call for elections in November 2024 aligns with the assembly election schedules of states like Maharashtra and Jharkhand.
The current political climate, following the 2024 Lok Sabha election, is marked by a growing sense of discontent against the ruling BJP.
In Maharashtra, the BJP, which is a part of the incumbent government led by Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar’s NCP, is facing anger on several fronts, including the Maratha reservation issue.
Likewise, in Jharkhand, the BJP has been trying hard to wrestle out the JMM-led Mahagathbandhan. In the recent past, the BJP has not had much success to show in Jharkhand. Hemant Soren, out on bail, is another shot in the opposition’s arm ahead of the Jharkhand Assembly polls.
The reason Kejriwal wants Delhi polls in November is to use the Opposition attacks in the other states as a tailwind.
The AAP might be trying to capitalise on broader anti-BJP sentiment, which would get amped up due to the polls in Maharashtra and Jharkhand. Kejriwal’s resignation and call for early elections must have been strategically timed to leverage that anti-BJP noise for Delhi’s 70-seat Assembly election too.
The coordinated anti-BJP narratives could amplify the campaign noise, helping the AAP to build a stronger opposition narrative ahead of the Delhi elections.
One of the most critical factors behind Kejriwal’s resignation could be the looming threat of Central Rule. While Kejriwal was jailed for months, several BJP leaders had demanded the imposition of President’s rule in Delhi, citing the failure to carry out day-to-day governance affairs. The BJP had also hit out at Kejriwal, saying he clung to power all this while.
After Kejriwal’s release last week, had he continued as the Delhi CM, the central government, led by the BJP, could have cited policy paralysis, given Kejriwal’s bail conditions. Moreover, imposing central rule could potentially delay the Delhi elections by up to six months.
Continuing under tough bail conditions had already hampered the AAP government’s ability to implement key policies, which could have further hurt the party’s electoral prospects.
The Supreme court, while bailing Kejriwal out, had prevented him from visiting the CM’s office and the secretariat. “The only category of files he [Kejriwal] must sign and does sign are the ones which have to go to the Lieutenant Governor,” Arvind Kejriwal’s counsel in the liquor policy case, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, told India Today TV.
Kejriwal has not only avoided the imposition of central rule, but also put the AAP at an advantage by announcing, just months ahead of the Assembly election in Delhi, that he would resign.