In a bold statement that underscores his commitment to transparency, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal declared he would accept the chief minister’s post only if he is cleared by the electorate in the upcoming Delhi assembly elections. “We will go to the court of people to prove our innocence,” Kejriwal asserted, emphasizing his intention to demonstrate his integrity directly to voters.
Kejriwal’s remarks came as he called for a rescheduling of the Delhi elections from February 2025 to November 2024, aligning them with the Maharashtra elections. “The current timeline places the elections too far off,” Kejriwal said, urging for a November vote. He stated that, until the elections are held, another party member would assume the role of acting chief minister. “In the next 2-3 days, we will hold a meeting of the MLAs to elect the next CM,” he added.
Addressing Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers, Kejriwal accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of trying to destabilize his party and undermine his leadership. “They wanted to break the party and diminish my morale. Their strategy was to dismantle parties, discredit MLAs, and imprison leaders,” Kejriwal claimed. Despite these challenges, he insisted that the BJP’s efforts to form a government by incarcerating him had failed.
Kejriwal also reflected on his decision not to resign as chief minister despite his arrest in the Delhi excise policy case earlier this year. “I chose not to resign to protect the country’s democracy,” he said, criticizing what he described as a pattern of sending opposition leaders to jail to manipulate political outcomes. He urged opposition leaders to resist resigning under similar circumstances, asserting that such actions are designed to stifle democratic processes.
Kejriwal’s release from jail last week followed a Supreme Court ruling that granted him bail but imposed restrictions, including barring him from entering the chief minister’s office or signing official documents.
In response, BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari dismissed Kejriwal’s demands as a public relations stunt. “Kejriwal’s proposal is a tactic to restore his tarnished image,” Bhandari claimed. “The Aam Aadmi Party is now associated with corruption, and this move is an attempt to shift blame and create a scapegoat.”
The political drama surrounding Kejriwal’s leadership and the future of Delhi’s government continues to unfold, with significant implications for the upcoming elections.
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