As challenges to BJP and Congress grow in Delhi elections, AAP finds anti-incumbent solution!

Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday announced that he will resign as the Chief Minister of Delhi within the next two days. Following his decision, speculations intensified that the assembly elections in the national capital might be held before February 2025. While this decision by Kejriwal did not come as a surprise as he had certainly secured bail from the Supreme Court in the alleged Delhi liquor scam case, it came with some conditions attached. As per these conditions, Kejriwal can neither go to the CM’s office nor the Secretariat nor sign documents. In other words, even if he continues as the Chief Minister, it will be a cosmetic position only as per his bail conditions.

Moreover, by making Kejriwal’s bail conditions an issue, the BJP and Congress will be trying to convey a message that the Supreme Court has not given him a clean chit in the alleged liquor scam case, as Aam Aadmi Party leaders and spokespersons have been trying to convey in their press conferences. Kejriwal knows the pulse of the people and that is why he remains loved by the people of Delhi for three consecutive elections. But this time their path in Delhi does not seem to be as easy as before. Admittedly, the personal image of AAP and Arvind Kejriwal has been tarnished due to the Delhi liquor scam case.

Strategies to calm growing public discontent

Election experts say that Arvind Kejriwal’s move is aimed at quelling the growing dissatisfaction of the people of Delhi with corruption and governance under his leadership. In addition, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and its supporters must unite around “honesty and accountability”. To make up for this loss, Arvind Kejriwal wants to ensure his return to power in Delhi at all costs. Kejriwal’s words when announcing his resignation as chief minister prove that he has begun preparations for his image transformation. Arvind Kejriwal said: “I will resign as chief minister in two days. I will not sit in the chief minister’s chair. Elections will be held in Delhi in a few months, and I want to appeal to the people. If you think Kejriwal is honest, then vote for me, if you think I am guilty, then don’t vote for me.

Arvind Kejriwal further said, “They (BJP) claim that Kejriwal is a thief. I am not here to play power games, I am here to do something for the country. When Lord Rama returned from exile after 14 years, Mother Sita had to go through hardships. Today I am out of jail and ready to face the test. Your every vote will be a proof of my honesty. If you vote for me and tell Kejriwal is honest, then I will be the chief minister only after the elections. I will not sit in the CM’s chair before then.” In fact, Kejriwal tried to create an image of himself as a leader in the public’s mind by resigning: he is not accused of corruption, but a victim of political conspiracy. He knows that there is a strong anti-incumbency wave against him in Delhi.

Trying to generate a wave of sympathy among the public

During his arrest, there was no resistance from the common people except party workers. Therefore, he would try to win public sympathy by resigning from the party. However, he adopted this approach in the last Lok Sabha elections. When the Supreme Court granted him interim bail for campaigning, the Aam Aadmi Party launched a “vote instead of jail” campaign in Delhi. Arvind Kejriwal appealed to the public at the rally that the BJP had implicated him in a false case and put him in jail on conspiracy, so the people of Delhi should vote for AAP and teach the saffron party a lesson. His wife Sunita Kejriwal and other party leaders also sought votes in the same situation. But the effect was not obvious. In Delhi, AAP and Congress fought the elections in an alliance, but the BJP won all seven seats.

How easy will be the path for AAP in Delhi elections?

The Aam Aadmi Party won the Delhi Assembly elections in 2015 and 2020 with a record vote share. The party also ousted the BJP from power in the Delhi Municipal Corporation. But when the promises made by Kejriwal in his speeches over the past decade are compared with the reality in Delhi, many of his words have proved wrong. Be it making Delhi the most wonderful capital in the world or comparing it with Singapore. The situation in Delhi during the monsoon this year was worse than 15 years ago. This time, the cries for water in the summer and waterlogging in many places during the rainy season exposed the claims of Arvind Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party. The opposition parties, especially the BJP, have strongly raised these issues. It will not be easy for AAP to repeat its previous performance in Delhi this time.

After ruling Delhi for a decade and now in the DMK, the Aam Aadmi Party will not be able to blame anyone else for its failure. After a decade of rule, it is natural that anti-incumbency sentiment has developed among the people against any leader and party. AAP and Kejriwal have not been immune to this either. In this context, Arvind Kejriwal has announced his resignation as chief minister, not only ridding himself of the responsibility but also trying to send the message that he is not greedy for the chief ministership. Now he will go out to the public and try to spread the word that the Centre is not allowing him to work effectively through the lieutenant governor. It must now be seen how much this strategy of Arvind Kejriwal will benefit him and how much of a challenge he will be able to bring to the BJP and the Congress.