Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal convened a crucial meeting with members of the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Political Affairs Committee (PAC) to discuss his successor. The meeting, held at Kejriwal’s residence, involved one-on-one consultations with each PAC member, focusing on selecting a new candidate for the chief ministerial position.
AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj confirmed that Kejriwal sought individual feedback from PAC members and Delhi government ministers regarding his replacement. This meeting comes a day after Kejriwal announced his decision to step down as Delhi Chief Minister, a move he had pledged following his release on bail in the excise policy case. Kejriwal has expressed a desire for early elections and stated that he would not return to the chief minister’s office until he receives a “certificate of honesty” from the public.
The AAP is set to hold a meeting with its MLAs at 11:30 am on Tuesday at Kejriwal’s residence to finalize a consensus candidate. Kejriwal is scheduled to meet Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena at 4:30 pm the same day, where he is expected to formally submit his resignation.
Delhi BJP chief Virender Sachdeva has criticized Kejriwal’s resignation as a move driven by “compulsion” rather than principle. He argued that the resignation comes in response to the Supreme Court’s directive restricting Kejriwal’s ability to perform his duties, including accessing his office and signing official documents. Sachdeva alleged that the Delhi government departments were riddled with corruption under Kejriwal’s leadership, challenging the notion that his resignation was a principled stand.
