Explained: Will Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal's arrest dent AAP's prospects in Lok Sabha Elections 2024?
The timing of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's Thursday night arrest couldn't have been worse for the Aam Aadmi Party, which is already grappling with the absence of its top leadership.
FollowThe timing of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's Thursday night arrest couldn't have been worse for the Aam Aadmi Party, which is already grappling with the absence of its top leadership.
The party's ambitions to expand nationwide, including a collaboration with the Congress for Lok Sabha polls in Delhi, Haryana, and Gujarat, now face significant challenges with Kejriwal, its key figure and star campaigner, behind bars. The absence of senior leaders like Manish Sisodia, Satyendar Jain, and Sanjay Singh further exacerbates the situation.
Kejriwal's arrest has thrown the ruling party of Delhi into disarray. Despite previous assertions of a determined fight, AAP's leadership will undoubtedly struggle to navigate this crisis.
The party's campaign, heavily reliant on Kejriwal's presence, is titled 'Sansad Mein Bhi Kejriwal, Toh Dilli Hogi Aur Khush Haal' in Delhi, and 'Gujarat Mein Bhi Kejriwal' in Gujarat, emphasizing his central role in their electoral strategies.
In Punjab, where the campaign revolves around state Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Kejriwal had been regularly visiting the state, where AAP is contesting all 13 seats without a Congress alliance.
During a press conference on March 19, Delhi Cabinet Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj claimed there was a conspiracy to arrest Kejriwal because his inquiries were unsettling the BJP.
The inevitable question arose: "If Kejriwal is arrested, how will the party's Lok Sabha campaign continue without him?"
Earlier this week, Bharadwaj said that "The face will be Arvind Kejriwal. He is the only face that people trust and love. The strategy will be formed once we reach that stage."
Before Kejriwal's arrest, the party harbored a lingering hope that he would not be arrested, given his widespread appeal and popularity, particularly among the people of Delhi.
"The BJP also has a fear that their plan to arrest Kejriwal might backfire. Kejriwal's arrest could lead people to revolt against the BJP in the polls," a senior party leader had said when Kejriwal was being issued multiple summonses by the ED in an excise policy linked money laundering case.
Kejriwal's arrest not only jeopardizes the party's Lok Sabha campaign but also raises concerns about governance in Delhi and the upcoming Assembly polls next year.
Despite projecting a resilient front with slogans like 'Ladenge, Jeetenge', the reality is that the 12-year-old party faces a challenging road ahead.
