Arvind Kejriwal battles time against ‘chakravyuh’
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Arvind Kejriwal’s resignation ploy may deepen his challenges
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s announcement to resign from his post solves less his problems, as finding replacement may prove tricky.
By MUKESH RANJAN
New Delhi, September 16: Political leaders holding Constitutional positions generally do not show their intent to resign. They actually do to maximise electoral dividends by playing the sacrifice card.
But undisputed leader of the AAP and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced that he “will resign from the post in next two days”. He made the statement after coming out of Tihar Jail. He got a conditional bail from the Supreme Court in connection with the CBI probe into his alleged role in the liquor policy ‘scam’ case.
Kejriwal delivered a very passionate speech on Sunday in front of the waiting television crews. He said that he has come out stronger to take on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He laid out his plans to fight the BJP-led central government on various fronts.
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It was really curious to note that nowhere in his entire speech he talked that his release would contribute to the governance in Delhi and ameliorate the miseries of the Delhi residents, which stand sunken in the monsoon rains. He had no words of condolence for the citizens, who got drowned in the overflowing drains or electrocuted in the stagnant waters.
Many keen observers of the Delhi Politics appeared skeptical about his move. It is being seen as a ploy to divert the issue of mega corruption that plagued the governance and also a desperate attempt to recover from the internal bickering within the AAP.
Delhi is the nerve centre of the AAP. The outfit started from here and first formed the government in the city. Afterwards, the AAP has been on a directionless drift. The questions are increasingly being asked if the AAP could afford to go the polls with a ‘non-functional’ Chief Minister. So, Kejriwal made the announcement to resign from the post.
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However, the announcement of resignation by the CM poses more questions than it answers. The biggest question is who is after Kejriwal in Delhi. Kejriwal said, “I want to give ‘agnipariksha’ after coming out of jail. I will become chief minister, Sisodia deputy CM only when people say we are honest.”
Thus, Kejriwal ruled out the possibility of Sisodia replacing him. Sisodia had resigned as the Deputy Chief Minister on being sent to the jail and when he came out no such pre-conditions had been put on him to not function as a Minister as put on Kejriwal.
Legally nothing stops Sisodia from becoming the Chief Minister, as his case is similar to that of Hemant Soren in Jharkhand. The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader resigned before being arrested and again took oath of office on coming out on bail. The same could be taken as precedence and Sisodia sworn in, but Kejriwal through his speech has made it clear that his deputy was not in the reckoning.
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Now in such a situation, to find his replacement in the government, Kejriwal will face a major challenge, as he cannot install his wife Sunita Kejriwal to the post. She is not an MLA and less than six months left for the Delhi’s assembly to complete its full five years tenure. So, byelection is also not possible.
Thus, replacing Kejriwal with another leader is easier said than done. Given the Swati Maliwal episode, the trust factor among the AAP leaders has taken a huge nosedive. There are so many aspirants and the strongest being Chief Minister’s wife Sunita Kejriwal and his former deputy Manish Sisodia and both of them are practically being ruled out.
Coming to the demand of holding early elections by dissolving the House, Kejriwal knows that unlike the states, the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi is not bound by the advice of the Cabinet. Even if he recommends, it has to go to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) which has to take a final call on the matter. And, for sending a recommendation for early elections, the Delhi Cabinet has to take a call on dissolving the assembly, which again appears difficult.
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Even if the MHA agrees to dissolve the House, the call for holding the polls would be taken by the Election Commission of India. Since the present House has less than six months of life left, the EC may decide to hold polls as scheduled in March.
Therefore, Kejriwal’s all plans to come out of the ‘Chakravyu’ in which he is currently embroiled and re-plug and re-incarnate himself with the mandate of the city people appear to be his misplaced expectation and the governance in the national capital will continue to drift as a ship without functioning engine.
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