The Aam Aadmi Party has launched a campaign to mark the completion of one year of the BJP government in Delhi. Its slogan is: “One year, Delhi in trouble, Kejriwal is missing.” The party was scheduled to hold a rally against the BJP at Jantar Mantar on March 1st. Two days earlier, on February 27th, AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal and former Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, along with 23 other accused, were discharged from the liquor scam, meaning they were discharged before charges were framed. Following the court’s decision, the rally at Jantar Mantar has become a show of strength. Previously limited to Delhi, leaders from across the country are now attending. The liquor scam allegations severely tarnished Arvind Kejriwal’s image as an honest party, and the party lost the assembly elections. Three questions arise: 1. Will the court’s decision lead to Kejriwal’s return?
2. After the defeat in Delhi, all senior leaders shifted to Punjab. Will they return?
3. What will the party’s future plans be in Delhi and Gujarat, in addition to Punjab? Party leaders say that Arvind Kejriwal will now expand his presence in national politics. Next year, assembly elections are scheduled in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Gujarat, and Himachal Pradesh, in addition to Punjab. In the last assembly elections, the party elected five MLAs in Gujarat and two in Goa. Kejriwal has been preparing for the elections for a year.
Aam Aadmi Party Delhi State President Saurabh Bhardwaj calls the court’s decision a testament to Arvind Kejriwal’s honesty. Regarding future plans, he says, “I believe Arvind Kejriwal’s image has received a major boost. The party has been given a new lease of life. We are holding a major rally on March 1st. Our leaders are coming from Gujarat, Goa, Punjab, and Delhi. Arvind ji will give the party a new direction at this rally.” Regarding the upcoming assembly elections, Saurabh says that for the past year, Arvind Kejriwal has been preparing for the elections in Gujarat, Goa, and Punjab on a very micro level. Regarding the electoral defeat in Delhi and the party’s tarnished image, Saurabh says, “Arvind Kejriwal has earned his living through honesty. That’s why the BJP attacked him.” Despite false cases and attempts to tarnish our image, we only lost 10% of our votes. Even before this verdict came, people realized something was wrong. Rekha Gupta’s government has been lying for a year. People are embarrassed.’ Focus on Punjab, Gujarat, and Goa, Sanjay Singh will handle UP.
Kejriwal resigned as Chief Minister after his name surfaced in the liquor policy case. However, he spent 177 days in jail while still Chief Minister. He resigned after being granted bail by the Supreme Court. In fact, the Supreme Court had stipulated that Kejriwal would not go to the Chief Minister’s office or sign any files. This meant that he had no power even while Chief Minister. After Kejriwal’s resignation, Atishi became Chief Minister. At that time, only five months of the Delhi Assembly’s term remained. The Aam Aadmi Party was badly defeated in the elections. The party won only 22 seats in the 70-seat Assembly. Its vote share also dropped by 10% to 43%. The party had hoped for a win in Haryana. It fielded candidates in 88 seats, but all lost. Following the court’s decision, Arvind Kejriwal stated that for the past few years, the BJP had been involved in liquor scams and leveling accusations against him. The court dismissed all the allegations. Sanjeev Jha, Aam Aadmi Party MLA from Burari, said, “The party will take this issue nationwide. Our workers and leaders from different states will tell people how the Prime Minister is destroying the democratic system of the country.” Regarding future plans, he said, “The people of Delhi are missing Kejriwal. The court’s decision has boosted the morale of the workers. The confusion spread among the people has ended. The party’s top leaders will meet in the coming days to discuss future plans. We are working hard in Punjab, Gujarat, and Goa. Additionally, preparations are underway in Uttar Pradesh under the leadership of Sanjay Singh.” Arvind Kejriwal’s release benefits the BJP.
Senior journalist Neerja Chaudhary says, “Now Arvind Kejriwal’s image will be positively impacted. He will gain public sympathy. Kejriwal’s image was his political capital.” AAP was said to be different from other parties. “For the first time in the country’s history, a Chief Minister had to go to jail. This damaged the party’s image and cadre. Kejriwal remained completely silent before and after the elections. The corruption allegations had affected his image, but now his image will be restored.” Neerja believes this decision will also impact the elections. She says, “The party will rise in states like Punjab, Gujarat, and Goa. If the party strengthens in Gujarat, it will harm the Congress. This will ultimately benefit the BJP.” Neerja further says, “It is possible that Kejriwal will go to campaign for Mamata Banerjee in the West Bengal elections. They have a good relationship. Whether Kejriwal will return to the India bloc or not is unknown. In the future, if regional parties form a front without the Congress, Kejriwal could have a strong place in it.” Sharad Sharma, a journalist who has been covering the Aam Aadmi Party for a long time, says that the liquor policy case was the biggest blot in the party’s history. This decision will definitely boost the party’s morale. However, it’s not as if this single factor will make everything perfect for the party in Punjab or elsewhere. “It’s important to see how the Aam Aadmi Party is providing governance in Punjab. The party is also putting its efforts in Gujarat and Goa, but unless you implement it on the ground, everything remains a media buzz. There may be a lot of discussion in Delhi, but there are no elections here right now.” Sharad says that this case had an impact on the Delhi elections, but there were many other issues as well. Punjab is a different state. If Arvind Kejriwal had been found guilty in this case, the people of Punjab wouldn’t have said they wouldn’t vote for AAP. AAP is currently in power there. Of course, the party’s morale will be boosted there too, but you also have to provide governance. “Any party that stays in power for four years has achievements as well as problems. There is a law and order problem in Punjab. The party had said it would eliminate the drug problem, but it still exists.” Much will depend on what the party does in the final year.’ The difficulty still remains.
If the ED presents evidence in the High Court, the decision could be reversed.
Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court discharged Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia in the liquor scam case. The court stated that the investigating agency had no evidence to implicate Kejriwal and Sisodia in the case. However, based on this very case, the ED had filed a money laundering case against Kejriwal and Sisodia. Senior Supreme Court lawyer Ashish Pandey says that in this case, the court clearly stated that the charge sheet did not contain enough evidence to send the case to trial. The ED files cases in two ways: on its own and in an ongoing case. The liquor scam case is the latter. Can this case be overturned? Ashish replies, “Upon discharge, the case can be reinvestigated. The entire process can be repeated. If the agency presents evidence and files a charge sheet in the future, the case can be reopened.” In more than 90% of cases, the Sessions Court approves the investigating agencies’ chargesheets. A decision is then reached after a trial. “This wasn’t the case. The law states that a discharge order should not be stayed unless there are exceptional circumstances. If a person is acquitted after a trial, the case cannot be retried. After discharge, the investigating agency has the power to reinvestigate the case, make fresh arrests, gather evidence, and file a chargesheet.”
