World
India
As counting of votes continues for the Delhi Assembly Election 2025 with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) heading towards victory at 42 of the 70 constituencies and AAP trailing. The BJP, already ahead in the polls, has capitalized on the moment to launch attacks on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, saying, ‘kejriwal will go to Tihar jail.’
AAP is trailing behind BJP in its stronghold Delhi, where VIP candidates including Manish Sisodia, Atishi and even national convener Arvind Kejriwal trailing on their respected seats.
This development comes after Kejriwal’s high-profile arrest in March 2025 by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which had a significant impact on his political campaign and public image, which may be one of the reasons for AAP’s loss in the Delhi elections in 2025.
Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest comes in the wake of allegations in the Delhi liquor policy case, a scandal that has engulfed Kejriwal’s leadership. According to the ED, the scrapped liquor policy was meant to benefit AAP leaders who allegedly returned kickbacks, besides giving private companies precedence over their counterparts. The charge sheet of ED accused Kejriwal to be the “kingpin” of the scam and further claimed that he used the money gained from the crime to finance AAP’s election campaigns, including those in Goa. After his arrest, Kejriwal went to the Delhi High Court and then on to the Supreme Court to seek legal remedy.
The Delhi High Court upheld the arrest under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), but Kejriwal’s legal team, led by Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, argued that there was not enough evidence to warrant his arrest. Singhvi said that the ED had no concrete evidence linking Kejriwal to the crime, and the arrest was politically motivated to dent AAP’s electoral prospects.
Despite these legal hurdles, Kejriwal was given interim bail in May 2025, just before the 2024 general elections, which enabled him to campaign for his party. However, the Delhi High Court stayed his release the following month, citing that investigations were still ongoing. Kejriwal’s case became even more complicated when he was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in June 2025. Both the ED and the CBI were investigating the liquor policy case, but till then, the ED alone had acted against Kejriwal.
Kejriwal’s lawyers sought relief on the expiry date of more than 90 days in jail. Kejriwal was granted a second round of interim bails. Kejriwal was released from custody in the ED’s case but remained behind bars for the CBI investigation. The Supreme Court said in its verdict that the need was to safeguard the right of life and liberty of an individual but did not say anything on Kejriwal’s stance as Delhi Chief Minister. However, a challenge regarding his arrest by the CBI is still pending before the Delhi High Court.
As Delhi Assembly Election results come in, BJP leaders such as Manoj Tiwari have been openly critical of Kejriwal’s legal issues, taunting his popularity with the people. Tiwari said that people of Delhi “loathe Kejriwal” and would soon see Kejriwal back in Tihar Jail. The BJP has clearly capitalized on Kejriwal’s legal and political issues and framed the election as a referendum on his governance and leadership.
ALSO READ: Congress Reacts To AAP’s Trailing In Delhi, Says ‘Not Our Responsibility’
