The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has selected Atishi to succeed Arvind Kejriwal as the next Chief Minister of Delhi following his decision to resign. While the BJP has dismissed this move as a "PR exercise", could this be a calculated step by Kejriwal to elevate his presence on the national stage?
After being released on bail in the excise policy case, the AAP national convenor announced on Sunday that he would resign within 48 hours, vowing not to return to the CM's chair until he received a "certificate of honesty" from the people.
The decision to resign likely pre-empted the option of imposing President's Rule in Delhi, a step that the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Lieutenant Governor might have considered amid the "constitutional crisis."
Resigning now also puts Kejriwal in a more comfortable position to strengthen the party’s footprint across other states. With scheduled elections in Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir and Maharashtra, Kejriwal can focus on organisational work and campaign efforts.
Choosing a new Chief Minister for Delhi ensures that the state remains under AAP’s control while freeing up Kejriwal to pursue the party’s broader ambitions of becoming the principal opposition to the BJP on the national stage.
AAP's performance in Goa and Punjab elections may have motivated this strategy. In Goa, where AAP made its debut, the party siphoned off a notable share of votes from both the BJP and Congress. In Punjab, AAP won 92 of 117 seats, dealing significant blows to both the ruling Congress and the BJP. Notably, this was the highest number of seats won by a single party in Punjab since Congress's victory in 1992, when it secured 87 seats.
In Delhi, where AAP controls 62 out of 70 constituencies, losing power could have been a disaster for the party. By appointing a new Chief Minister, AAP retains political control over the capital while Kejriwal can shift focus to national politics.
Since founding AAP in 2012, Kejriwal has been a dominant figure in Delhi’s politics. He first became Chief Minister in 2013 but resigned after 49 days. In 2015, he returned to power after AAP secured a landslide victory, winning 67 of 70 seats.
Kejriwal’s national aspirations: Kejriwal's foray into national politics began in 2014 when he challenged Narendra Modi in Varanasi during the Lok Sabha elections. His frequent confrontations with the Modi government and the Delhi Lieutenant Governor have kept him in the national spotlight, possibly as part of a broader strategy to build his national profile.
Challenges of a successor: When political leaders hand over the reins to a successor, internal resistance can arise. In Jharkhand, Champai Soren resisted the party’s decision to replace him as Chief Minister just two days after Hemant Soren’s release from jail.
Similarly, in Bihar, Jitan Ram Manjhi was Nitish Kumar's surprise choice to fill as Bihar CM in 2015. However, Manjhi incited a political commotion later by refusing to vacate office for his former boss Nitish Kumar.
Delhi minister Saurabh Bhardwaj, however, clarified on Tuesday that the chair of the chief minister of Delhi belongs to Arvind Kejriwal and Atishi will remain in the post until he is elected again.
Whether Delhi will see similar challenges remains to be seen. However, Kejriwal's calculated resignation appears to be part of a larger strategy to expand AAP's influence beyond Delhi.
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