Aam Aadmi Party chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal should be eternally grateful to the Supreme Court for granting him interim bail on May 10 until June 1. It enabled him to campaign for his party in Delhi and elsewhere. Only the counting of votes on June 4 will reveal what impact he made on the electorate, especially in Delhi and Punjab, where the AAP is contesting a majority of the seats. Instead of complying with the apex court’s order and returning to jail on June 2, he approached the court for an extension of his bail. He cited his fluctuating sugar levels, which needed investigation and remedial action, to seek the extension. The court has rejected his appeal for an urgent hearing on the grounds that he could have approached the appropriate court to secure a permanent bail.
Anyone who has seen him campaigning in the election knows all too well that his diabetic condition did not hinder him. In fact, his campaign was energetic and challenging for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. The people also know why he wants to remain out of jail for another week ending on June 8. By then, the results would have been announced, and he could have played a decisive role in the formation of the government if the Congress-led INDIAlliance is able to cross the 272-mark. Kejriwal’s statement that his party is not in a permanent marriage alliance with the Congress suggests that he wants to explore other options as well. If the party is able to win a majority of the 22 seats it contested, he can even be the kingmaker in the event the NDA and I.N.D.I.A fail to get a clear majority. Alas, Kejriwal has realised that the apex court has no plans to play into his hands.
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