Kejriwal’s resignation a political game plan

In a strategic move AAP has sounded the poll bugle against the Congress and BJP as Arvind Kejriwal resigned as chief minister. Kejriwal who is known for political maneuvering wants to repeat what he had done in 2014 when he first resigned 49 days after winning the first election and becoming the chief minister with the help of Congress party.

AAP had won 28 out of 70 seats in the Delhi assembly elections in 2013. With 32 seats in the 70-member house, the BJP refused to form a government in the hung assembly. But the journey was a roller coaster ride. Kejriwal who came to power as anti corruption crusader proposed anti corruption law, Jan Lokpal Bill which the Congress and BJP opposed and miffed over it he resigned as CM and came back to power with thumping majority.

Now after a decade, he has again resigned on Tuesday. To what extent this gamble will pay him needs to be watched. “’Chehara badalane se AAP ka charitra nahi badalega’ (changing the face does not change AAP’s character)... Considering Kejriwal’s 10 years of corruption, whoever is the CM will have to tell people how they looted the people of Delhi,” Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva said. “They have indulged in corruption in every department and now the people will give them an answer for that corruption,” the BJP says. Resignation of Arvind Kejriwal a “political drama and shady stunt,” Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav commented.

The Supreme Court has imposed restrictions on him, hence this new drama, the BJP and Congress which was its ally in the Parliament elections just few months back say. The reaction of the new CM designate Atishi’s statement that she would work with one goal for the next few months to bring back Kejriwal on chief minister’s post reveals the real game plan. AAP wants to hit the road and take up the political campaign against the BJP and Congress. More than ease of governance, the resignation certainly is a political game plan.

AAP feels that Delhi’s voters would stand by it if they can “expose” the BJP saying that the saffron party has been indulging in vindictive politics but has not been able to prove anything. It was misusing various institutions like the CBI and ED to harass political opponents. The arrest of Kejriwal, Sisodia and others and confining them to jail for months without being able to substantiate the charges, shows that the BJP was misusing different agencies, it would allege. What has really troubled Kejriwal is that his respect is very dear to him and his image has been maligned by the BJP. Hence he wants to go back to the people of Delhi and say that only if I am imaandar (honest), then bring me back to power.

To what extent the BJP and Congress will be able to counter AAP and convince the people about Aam Aadmi Party’s alleged “misgovernance and corruption” in the assembly elections remains to be seen. This election will certainly be a litmus test for the AAP because it has been nursing large scale political ambitions. The big question that needs to be watched is can AAP play the sympathy card and come back to power? AAP has been in power for a decade and this is a long period for anti incumbency factor to creep in.

The new trend among the voters is that they remain silent till the day of polling keeping all parties and pollsters guessing. This we had seen during the recent Assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh and the Lok Sabha elections across the country where the BJP’s dream of ‘Ab ki Baar 400 Paar’ fell flat. But certainly spice has been added to the Delhi Assembly polls.