Arvind Kejriwal released: Friday night saw the release of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal from Tihar jail, just hours after the Supreme Court granted him temporary parole till June 1 in relation to his purported involvement in the liquor policy case.
Two days before the results of the Lok Sabha elections of 2024 were supposed to be announced, on June 2, the highest court ordered Kejriwal to turn himself in.
Since the release coincides with the Lok Sabha elections, it is significant. Four further polling phases are set for May 13, May 20, May 25, and June 1. Three polling phases have already concluded.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), led by Arvind Kejriwal, is in control of Punjab and Delhi, the two states where the final phases of the elections are planned. On May 25, voting will take place in five phases, including seven seats in Delhi and ten in Haryana. On June 1, the 13 seats in Punjab will cast ballots in the sixth phase.
Arvind Kejriwal released: On March 21, Kejriwal was detained by the EnforceFdelhiment Directorate (ED) in connection with the purported Delhi liquor excise policy fraud.
“AAP Morale Booster”
Arvind Kejriwal, who is out on bail, will have plenty of time in the coming weeks to campaign for the seats in Delhi and Punjab. The AAP is running for office in Delhi in coalition with the Congress party. According to the terms of the seat-sharing agreement, the AAP won four of the Delhi seats, and the Congress nominated candidates for the remaining three. The party is running for 13 seats in Punjab by itself.
Clearly, Kejriwal’s release during election season will energize ccadres. No detail will be overlooked by the laborers throughout the course of the campaign. Not only is Arvind Kejriwal the face of the AAP, but he is also a well-known opposition figure in the country.
“The triumph of truth is this…I appreciate the Supreme Court stepping up to defend democracy and the Constitution. Atishi Marlena, a top AAP leader and minister in Delhi, told news agency ANI that Arvind Kejriwal would be speaking to the people of Delhi and the nation after his release from Tihar Jail this evening.
Shortly after the publication on Friday night, Kejriwal gave a speech to a group and revealed his plans for May 11.
Arvind Kejriwal released: India bloc applauds the release of Kejriwal
Numerous leaders of the Samajwadi Party and the Congress, two of the INDIA bloc parties, have praised the release. “We applaud the Supreme Court’s intervention in providing Arvind Kejriwal with interim bail,” stated Congressman Pawan Khera. “We hope the ex-Chief Minister of Jharkhand, Hemant Soren, also gets due justice,” said Khera.
One of the two chief ministers from the opposition who spent the election season in jail is Kejriwal. Kejriwal did not quit before being imprisoned, in contrast to Hemant Soren, the other chief minister of Jharkhand. West Bengal Chief Minister and head of the Trinamool Congress, Mamata Banerjee, hailed Kejriwal’s release as well.
Leading the campaign in Delhi and Punjab, where his party is in power, is AAP leader Arvind Kumar Singh.
Arvind Kejriwal: A Significant Player
Given his campaigning approach, analysts predict that Arvind Kejriwal will provide a challenge to the BJP in the Lok Sabha election—at least in Delhi.
Although Kejriwal’s campaign idioms are still to be seen, Rahul Verma, a political analyst and fellow at the Centre for Policy Research (CPR), stated that as a leader, he has the capacity to make the elections in Delhi extremely difficult for the BJP.
While Kejriwal is on bail, he is prohibited from discussing the accusations made against him or the Delhi liquor policy issue.
According to experts, the AAP has been drawing sympathy for itself by bringing up Arvind Kejriwal’s imprisonment during its election campaign thus far. Furthermore, Arvind Kejriwal may as well be the “impact player” in the final 21 days of his campaign before he has turn himself in again on June 2 given his release on temporary bail, which came days before Lok Sabha elections in Delhi and Punjab.
Delhi Election Pattern
Delhi has seen a split vote trend in the last two Lok Sabha elections. In other words, although people supported the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the two general elections that took place in 2014 and 2019, they have consistently chosen the AAP in assembly elections that have taken place since 2015.
The BJP had taken all seven Delhi seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections. In the 2019 general elections, the Congress secured eight seats in Punjab, while the Akali Dal and the BJP secured two seats each, and the AAP secured just one seat.
Punjab and Delhi are essential to the INDIA bloc. Twenty MPs of the Lok Sabha were sent by these two states. Kejriwal’s release must occur in time for the elections in both states while he is out on bail. It will undoubtedly affect the elections, a party leader who wished to remain anonymous stated.
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