Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister of Delhi, who was temporarily released from Tihar Jail on interim bail, assured attendees at a roadshow today that if they vote for him, he won’t have to go back to jail. “I have to go back to jail after 20 days. If you choose jhadu (AAP’s symbol), I won’t have to go back to jail,” the Chief Minister said.
Mr. Kejriwal’s comeback to the hustle and bustle of campaigning after spending 50 days in jail has injected new energy into AAP, which had been dealing with various challenges. Senior party leader Saurabh Bhardwaj mentioned that this development would also have a significant impact on the INDIA bloc.
Fresh out of jail, the Chief Minister immediately immersed himself in campaigning, conducting a roadshow in Moti Nagar to support Somnath Bharti, the party’s candidate for the New Delhi seat. During the event, he conveyed to the crowd that his absence could affect the progress made for the people.
“If I went back to jail, the BJP would stop your work, free electricity, degrade schools and shut down hospitals and Mohalla Clinics,” said the Chief Minister, accompanied by his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann. “They sent me to jail because I worked for you. The BJP does not want that work of Delhi people are done.”
Delhi votes for its seven Lok Sabha seats on May 25.
The AAP leader, who was arrested in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case, has been granted interim bail until June 1st, coinciding with the conclusion of the Lok Sabha election voting. He is required to surrender on June 2.
The Supreme Court, which was considering the challenge to Mr. Kejriwal’s arrest, unexpectedly decided to hear his bail petition as well. When granting him bail, the judges remarked that he was not a “habitual offender” and took into account the ongoing election.
“There are elections (and) these are extraordinary circumstances, and he is not a habitual offender. This is a question of public interest,” said the bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta.
