New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday (September 15) said that he was going to resign as CM within 2 days. He was addressing party workers and supporters when he made the major announcement. Kejriwal has demanded fresh polls in Delhi and has also asked the Election Commission of India to hold Delhi polls at the same time as Maharashtra Legislative Assembly polls.
Interestingly, if Kejriwal indeed resigns two days after today, his resignation will come on September 17, which is Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday.
“Despite the court giving us bail, the case will continue. I spoke to my lawyers. Till the case does not end, I will not sit on the CMs seat. After two days, I am going to resign from the post of CM. I will not sit on the CM’s seat till the people elect me and send me to the seat again.” said Kejriwal.
"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," Kejriwal said.
This was Kejriwal's first address to party workers after his release on bail from Delhi's Tihar jail. The party workers had gathered at AAP office in New Delhi.
On why he did not resign when he was in jail, Kejriwal said that he did not do so 'to save democracy'.
He lashed out at the Bharatiya Janata Party saying that it was trying to jail CMs of the states where it lost elections.
"...They have a new formula now; they file cases against the CM of opposition parties in the states where they lost elections. They have filed cases against Siddaramaiah, and Pinarayi Vijayan... The Supreme Court has asked why the government cannot be run from jail... I appeal to all non-BJP CMs that if there is a case against you, do not resign....," he said.
Kejriwal vs Modi: An Old Feud
The feud between Arvind Kejriwal and PM Narendra Modi goes back a decade. In 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Kejriwal contested against Modi in Varanasi. At the time, he had openly given media quotes like 'Modi ko harana hai'. Modi won the seat but Kejriwal bagged more than 2 lakh votes, about 20 per cent of the total votes cast.
Kejriwal has been somwhat of a political roadblock in BJP's plans to have complete control of affairs of the national capital. Over years, Kejriwal has clashed with successive lieutenant governors of Delhi who he alleged were acting on cues from the central government.
A resignation right on the PM's birthday is likely to ignite a new war. This has potential to steal limelight from the special day for the PM. Kejriwal's announcement has also sent a defiant message.
Reactions have started coming from political circles following Kejriwal's announcement.
Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit has called Kejriwal's announcemnt a 'drama'.
