Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is expected to resign from his position on September 17, Tuesday. According to sources within the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Kejriwal has requested a meeting with Lieutenant Governor Vinay Kumar Saxena. Senior AAP leaders are set to convene at 5 pm today to discuss the party’s next steps and plan of action.
Earlier today, AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Raghav Chadha met with Kejriwal at his residence to deliberate on potential candidates for the Chief Minister’s position. This meeting follows Kejriwal’s announcement on Sunday that he would be stepping down. The discussion lasted for nearly an hour and is set to continue during the AAP’s Political Affairs Committee (PAC) meeting later this evening.
Kejriwal, who was released from Tihar Jail on Friday following the Supreme Court’s decision to grant him bail in the liquor policy case, announced his intention to resign in his first address to AAP leaders and supporters. He stated that a legislative party meeting would be held within the next two days to decide on his successor.
“I am going to resign from the Chief Minister’s position after two days. I will not sit in the Chief Minister’s chair until the people give their verdict… I will go to every house and street and not sit in the Chief Minister’s chair till I get a verdict from the people,” Kejriwal said during his announcement.
Manish Sisodia, AAP leader and Kejriwal’s close associate, also echoed similar sentiments. In a social media post on Sunday, he expressed that he would only return to the role of Deputy Chief Minister if the public approved of his honesty. Sisodia was recently released after spending 17 months in jail over allegations he claims were politically motivated. He stated, “Elections are to be held in three-four months. Only if the public approves my honesty, I will sit in the chair of Deputy Chief Minister-Education Minister and work for education.”
Kejriwal ruled out the possibility of Sisodia being his immediate successor. “I spoke to Manish; he too has said that he will handle the post only after the people say we are honest. The fate of Sisodia and I is now in your hands,” Kejriwal remarked.
Meanwhile, opposition parties have criticized Kejriwal’s move, dismissing it as a “PR stunt” aimed at salvaging his image. Within AAP, insiders report that Kejriwal made the decision to resign during a closed-door meeting with senior party members. Sources suggest that Kejriwal will vacate the Chief Minister’s residence within 15 days of his resignation.
The political landscape in Delhi now turns its focus to the AAP’s next steps and the selection of a new leader to steer the party in the coming months.
