Despite incessant attacks and two arrests that practically put him out of action, Arvind Kejriwal has stumped the Bharatiya Janata Party once again. By resigning from his position as Delhi chief minister immediately after being granted bail with conditions that placed restrictions on his administrative powers, the Aam Aadmi Party chief has put his astute political reflexes on full display. https://thewire.in/politics/arvind-kejriwal-narendra-modi-bjp-atishi
The BJP’s campaign in Kejriwal’s absence had veered around two crucial allegations against the AAP government. One, that the it had been the most corrupt of all governments of Delhi, an accusation that it could not substantiate beyond citing the arrest of its senior leaders by Union government-controlled investigative agencies, whose conduct and probes are under the scanner for their alleged political partisanship. Two, the BJP spokespersons made it a point to hammer the point that Kejriwal was making space for his wife Sunita Kejriwal to take over his role in the party.
By appointing Atishi, a leader who has earned her position as a natural successor, Kejriwal has not only reinforced his original USP as an honest and self-sacrificing Gandhian but has also energised Delhi’s lacklustre political mood by signalling that AAP remained a party which rewards political conviction and merit. He timed his resignation skilfully too, as any such decision at an earlier stage when he was in prison could have emboldened the BJP in its aggressive campaign against the AAP and stripped him of the moral high ground that he has attained now.
In one strategic move, Kejriwal has reclaimed the limelight once again. The BJP under Narendra Modi has successfully drawn an effective political narrative against the Congress, but has often been found wanting to tackle Kejriwal and the AAP’s quick retorts and repartee. Shorn of its effectiveness against AAP, it finally had to marshal government agencies to force the party into submission.
By Ajoy Ashirwad Mahaprashasta