In Delhi, speculation is growing that the central government may soon dismiss jailed Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his cabinet. This follows a demand by BJP MLAs, who met President Droupadi Murmu and presented a memorandum seeking the dismissal of Kejriwal’s government. Reports now suggest that the President’s Secretariat has forwarded the request to the Ministry of Home Affairs. The pressing question is: why is the BJP in such a hurry? If the Kejriwal government hasn’t been removed so far, would doing so now, on the eve of elections, prove beneficial to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) or the BJP? It could potentially hand Kejriwal something he has never had before: a sympathy wave.
During the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Arvind Kejriwal was also in jail. Many speculated that his imprisonment would garner sympathetic votes for AAP. However, this did not happen. The court provided Kejriwal with ample time to campaign, and right up to the day before voting in Delhi and Punjab, he urged his supporters to vote for AAP if they wanted him released from jail. Yet, the people of Delhi didn’t respond. Despite contesting seven seats in alliance with the Congress, AAP failed to secure a single seat. The message was clear: the people of Delhi were dissatisfied with Kejriwal and AAP’s governance.
However, Delhi’s political landscape is unique. The city has consistently voted differently in Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. In 2019, AAP was completely wiped out, but in the 2020 Assembly elections, they convincingly defeated the BJP. Without a doubt, dismissing the Kejriwal government could generate sympathy for him. AAP could spin this narrative to argue that the central government’s sole objective was to remove their government and that a conspiracy was hatched to entangle AAP leaders. This is likely why Kejriwal has not resigned yet; he seems to be waiting for the government to dismiss him so he can turn the situation to his advantage.
There’s no denying that the current state of the capital is concerning. Outside of the Lutyens’ Zone, Delhi is strewn with garbage, roads are in disrepair, and streetlights often don’t work. Underpasses frequently flood, and even light rainfall can disrupt the city’s infrastructure.
Not Dismissing Kejriwal Could Backfire
Conversely, not dismissing Kejriwal could also prove costly for the BJP. In Delhi, the support bases of the BJP and AAP are sharply divided. While many AAP supporters are satisfied with the government’s work, a significant number are disillusioned and want action taken against Kejriwal. If the BJP goes to the public seeking votes against Kejriwal, people might question why he hasn’t been dismissed. This leaves the BJP stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Special Report – Translation from Roznama Khabrein
