Arvind Kejriwal's Sunday Shocker: Political Masterstroke Or Massive Risk?

In a shock Sunday development, Arvind Kejriwal announced that he will resign as Delhi Chief Minister within the next two days. The announcement came two days after the Supreme Court granted him bail in the corruption case linked to Delhi's now-scrapped liquor policy. The Delhi Chief Minister made this announcement while addressing the first big gathering following his exit from jail after six months.

What Arvind Kejriwal Said

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener said he got justice in the court of law but now wants justice in the court of the people. "Two days later, I will resign as Chief Minister. I will not sit on that chair till the people announce their verdict. Elections in Delhi are months away. I got justice from the legal court, now I will get justice from the people's court. I will sit on the Chief Minister's chair only after the order of the people," he said. "I want to ask the people of Delhi, is Kejriwal innocent or guilty? If I have worked, vote for me," he said.

Targeting the Narendra Modi government, Mr Kejriwal appealed to non-BJP Chief Ministers not to resign from jail if cases are slapped on them. "They slap false cases against non-BJP chief ministers. If they are arrested, I urge them not to resign but run the government from jail," the Delhi Chief Minister said.

He said he didn't resign earlier because he wanted to fight for democracy. "I didn't resign (after arrest) because I respect democracy and the Constitution is supreme for me," Mr Kejriwal said.

What Happens Next?

Arvind Kejriwal said today that a meeting of AAP's 60 MLAs in Delhi will be held within the next two days to choose the next Chief Minister for the national capital. Following this, he would resign as Chief Minister. The AAP leader also called for earlier polls in Delhi. The election in Delhi is scheduled for February; Mr Kejriwal today demanded that the polls be held in November along with the Maharashtra election. 

"The elections are supposed to be held in February. I demand elections be held in November with Maharashtra elections... Till elections are held, someone else from the party will be the Chief Minister. In the next 2-3 days, a meeting of the MLAs will be held, where the next CM will be decided," he said.

The Chief Minister said he would go among the people and seek their support. "I will go to every house and street and not sit on the CM's chair till I get a verdict from the people.

This indicates that the AAP has planned a massive outreach campaign to connect to the people in the run-up to the polls in the capital. Besides Mr Kejriwal, his former deputy Manish Sisodia, also on bail in a liquor policy case, is likely to play a key role in this campaign.

Masterstroke or Big Risk?

The shock announcement may reap poll benefits for the AAP as Mr Kejriwal takes a moral stand and asserts that he has no lust for power and wants the people's verdict before he returns to the top post.

The BJP, however, has tagged the announcement as "drama" and has said they will win the election in Delhi whenever it is held.

BJP's Harish Khurana told NDTV, "Why after 48 hours? he should resign today. People of Delhi are asking, he can't go to the secretariat, can't sign documents? What is the point then?" Asked if the BJP was ready for early polls, Mr Khurana replied, "We are ready, whether it is today or tomorrow. We will return to power in Delhi after 25 years."

Mr Kejriwal's surprise move, however, can also backfire. He has indicated that Mr Sisodia has also asserted that he will return to office only after the people give a verdict in his favour. That means the two top AAP leaders are not in the Chief Minister race and the party will have to choose from among its other prominent faces as placeholder till the election. Choosing a Chief Minister for just a few months has often led to a power tussle and big exits later. For example, Bihar's Nitish Kumar, who vacated the seat for Jitan Ram Manjhi, and Jharkhand's Hemant Soren, who named Champai Soren for the top post, faced troubles when they tried to return to the Chief Minister's office.

Also, calling for early polls is a double-edged sword. For the past few months, AAP has been preoccupied with legal troubles, with its top leaders in jail. Amid this, the Opposition has constantly targeted the Delhi government on civic issues such as waterlogging in Delhi. At this point, calling for polls in November leaves the ruling party with little time to prep for the election.