Today, On 17th September, Arvind Kejriwal has resigned as Delhi Chief Minister following a Supreme Court order restricting his access to the Secretariat and official duties. He named Atishi as his successor for the role. Atishi pledged to continue working towards Kejriwal’s return to power, appealing to voters for their support. Atishi urged voters to support the party and “make your son, your brother, Chief Minister again.”
New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal resigned as Delhi Chief Minister on Tuesday evening, handing over the reins to his colleague Atishi. This marked the conclusion of a dramatic few days following his release on bail in connection with the liquor policy case.
Kejriwal met with Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena at his residence to submit his resignation and recommend Atishi for the Chief Minister’s post. He joined by Atishi and former deputy CM Manish Sisodia, who is also out on bail after being arrested in the same liquor policy case.
Following the meeting, Atishi spoke to reporters, expressing her commitment to working for the people of Delhi. She also emphasized the party’s focus on securing victory in the next Delhi elections and praised Kejriwal as her “mentor.”
Earlier today, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) announced that Atishi had been unanimously chosen as the leader of its legislative party, effectively making her the leader of the AAP MLAs. She is set to replace Arvind Kejriwal as Delhi’s Chief Minister until the next Assembly elections, scheduled for February. However, Kejriwal called for an early election, possibly as soon as next month.
In her address, Atishi said that the primary goal of her government, and all AAP lawmakers, would be to ensure Kejriwal’s return.
She urged voters, saying,
“Make your son, your brother, Chief Minister again.”
Atishi expressed both gratitude and sadness in her statement,
“Arvind Kejriwal believed in me… AAP believed in me. That is why I have been given this responsibility. While I am happy in this trust, I am also sad Arvind Kejriwal had to resign, Delhi has only one Chief Minister… and that is Kejriwal.”
Atishi also pledged to defend AAP against the Bharatiya Janata Party’s “conspiracies,” accusing the opposition of levelling “fake charges” against Kejriwal, who arrested earlier by the Enforcement Directorate in March and again by the Central Bureau of Investigation in June, both tied to money laundering and corruption allegations in the liquor policy case.
On Sunday, just two days after his release from jail, Arvind Kejriwal made a surprising political announcement, even catching some within his own party off guard. Kejriwal, who has consistently denied the corruption charges and accused the BJP of framing him, declared that he would not govern Delhi until he received “justice from the people’s court.”
He proclaimed,
“I got justice from the legal courts… now I will get justice from the people’s court. I want to ask the people of Delhi, is Kejriwal innocent or guilty? If I have worked, vote for me,”
This decision marks a major shift in Delhi politics, as Kejriwal has been the face of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) since its formation and has served as the Chief Minister for nearly a decade. However, the recent legal battles, especially surrounding the alleged liquor policy scam, have significantly impacted his position.