NEW DELHI: Out from jail, the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is now focused on the upcoming elections in Haryana and Delhi.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP Sandeep Pathak announced via an X post that Kejriwal has convened a high-level strategy meeting for Haryana, which goes to the polls on October 5.
“CM called a meeting of the senior leadership of the Aam Aadmi Party to discuss the campaign plan for the Haryana election,” Pathak’s post read.
On Friday, the Supreme Court granted the AAP national convenor bail in a corruption case lodged by the CBI in connection with the excise policy ‘scam’.
Out after six months, the star campaigner of the party is now expected to unleash an extensive poll campaign in the state. In the high-stakes election for AAP, which is desperate to expand its footprint in the state, the party has decided to contest solo on all 90 seats after seat-sharing talks with Congress failed. “People connect with Kejriwal. He is not just the party’s biggest face but also the main star campaigner,” a senior party leader said.
Earlier this week, the party issued a list of its star campaigners for the state with the chief minister’s name on top. However, in his absence, AAP kickstarted its Haryana campaign in July with Kejriwal’s wife, Sunita, leading the charge in rallies.
So far, the party’s campaign, launched in July, just had a poster of Kejriwal, while senior leaders, including Bhagwant Mann, Sanjay Singh, Manish Sisodia and Sandeep Pathak, were holding rallies and roadshows. Almost every week, Sunita was also visiting the state and holding rallies.
Now, Kejriwal is set to hit the ground running, leading rallies, roadshows, and public meetings.
“We have very positive feedback from the ground. We will now fight the polls with double energy. Kejriwal ji will soon start his campaign in Haryana,” AAP’s Haryana unit chief Sushil Gupta said.
Meanwhile, Kejriwal has called a meeting of party workers to discuss Delhi assembly elections to be held early next year. However, the meeting, which was scheduled for Saturday evening at party’s headquarters, has been postponed.
CM Kejriwal can discharge his duties: Sanjay Singh
Meanwhile, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh lashed out at Union Home Minister Amit Shah and demanded his resignation for sending Kejriwal to jail in a “fake” case.
At a press conference here, he alleged that the BJP was spreading lies that Kejriwal could not sign files or work as the chief Minister. “Delhi people will make the BJP lose its deposits in the upcoming assembly polls for shamelessly spreading this lie,” Singh added.
In its bail order, the apex court had stated that AAP supremo Kejriwal cannot visit his office or the Delhi Secretariat or sign any official file unless absolutely necessary to obtain the lieutenant governor’s sanction.
Singh said Kejriwal has no portfolio and the ministers concerned sign the files of their respective departments. “Kejriwal signs only those files that need to be sent for the approval of the lieutenant governor,” he added.
“The Supreme Court has not stopped him from signing files going to the LG for his approval. So, Kejriwal as the chief minister will continue to work and fight for the people of Delhi, 100 per cent, as he did in his previous tenure,” Singh said.
Delhi Police has filed an FIR over the bursting of firecrackers outside Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence in north Delhi’s Civil Lines to welcome him upon his release from jail, officials said on Saturday. There is a ban on the production, sale and use of firecrackers in the national capital to control air pollution in the coming winter season.