Arvind Kejriwal has resigned from the post of Chief Minister of Delhi after being released on bail in a corruption case.
Arvind Kejriwal, the main leader of the opposition alliance that contested Modi in the general election, was detained in March on allegations that his city government received kickbacks from allocating liquor licences. Capital’s Education Minister Atishi will replace him as interim Chief Minister. A statement from the Aam Aadmi Party said that Aatishi will lead Delhi till the upcoming elections, carrying both Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s vision and the future of the national capital.
Arvind Kejriwal has said he will resign from his post, a day after he was released from jail after being granted bail in a corruption case. Kejriwal announced his resignation during a meeting with Aam Aadmi Party members on Sunday. He said that he will return to the post (of the top ministry) only when people confirm his honesty by voting for him in the upcoming Delhi elections. He also demanded the Election Commission to hold the Delhi elections in November this year instead of February 2025. I demand that the elections be held in November along with the Maharashtra elections, I demand that the elections be held immediately.” Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by India’s economic crime agency in connection with New Delhi’s liquor policy several months before the country’s general elections in March this year.
Although he was granted bail in July in this case, he was arrested by the Delhi Police in another corruption case related to the same policy, due to which he remained in jail.
55-year-old Arvind Kejriwal and his party have denied the allegations, calling them “politically motivated” cases. Kejriwal is considered a staunch critic of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his 10-year-old Aam Aadmi Party has rapidly gained political popularity.
