New Delhi: Speculations are rife over the next Delhi Chief Minister after Arvind Kejriwal, who has been released from jail after 177 days on charges of alleged scam in Delhi Excise Policy, disclosed that he will quit the CM's post. He made this announcement while addressing the party workers for the first time in the party's new office on Sunday. After his resignation announcement, politics has heated up regarding, who will take over the responsibility of this post and names of senior leaders are doing the rounds.
Now the question is also being raised will Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal hand over the responsibility to a family member? However, his wife Sunita Kejriwal's name has been in the news since the Lok Sabha elections when CM Kejriwal came out on interim bail for some time for an election campaign. Since then, there has been a constant discussion about Sunita Kejriwal's claim for the post of CM. Now that the CM has announced his resignation, discussions again intensified about who will replace him as the Chief Minister.
If we go down memory lane and reminisce political heirs of regional parties, they have handed over this responsibility to a trusted member from within the family. From Bihar to Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and other states are big witnesses to this. Lalu Prasad Yadav handed over the command of the CM's post to his wife Rabri Devi after going to jail in the fodder scam.
Similarly, former CM Shibu Soren also handed over the command of Jharkhand to his son Hemant Soren. If we talk about the country's largest state Uttar Pradesh, then here, too, Mulayam Singh Yadav did not trust anyone else and considered it safer to hand over the reins of power to his son Akhilesh Yadav to carry forward the political legacy.
Discussions have also started about whether such examples will fit in Delhi politics or not. In fact, the Delhi Assembly elections are likely to be held in February-March next year. Against that backdrop, to refute the allegations of the opposition, Kejriwal can hand over the post to an outsider instead of a family member for some time. If he hands over the command to his wife Sunita Kejriwal, then like other regional parties, he may have to face the allegations of the opposition in the Delhi Assembly elections regarding allegations of promoting nepotism.
To avoid this, he can take another big decision in this direction. Meanwhile, after Arvind Kejriwal, if any other big name is considered a strong contender for the post of CM, then the name of former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia crops up. After Manish Sisodia was released from jail on bail, the discussion had intensified on whether he would now take over his old post or the chair of Delhi CM.
But, today CM Kejriwal has also made it clear with the announcement of his resignation and made it clear that he will not sit on his chair until the public votes for him and Manish Sisodia and gives them a certificate of honesty.
CM Kejriwal said, "He will not sit on the chair until the public gives its verdict. If the public feels that Kejriwal is honest, then they will vote for me. Each of your votes will be a certificate of my honesty. If you people make me victorious by voting for me, only then I will sit on the Chief Minister's chair. This statement also made it clear that if the AAP come to power in the next elections, then Arvind Kejriwal will become the Chief Minister."
Furthermore, Cabinet Minister Atishi is considered to be the strongest contender for the CM's post. Atishi is also a minister trusted by CM Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia. Apart from this, the party can also consider the names of ministers Kailash Gehlot, Gopal Rai and Imran Khan as CM contenders.
Sanjay Singh is also on bail, so the party may also consider his name. As far as Raghav Chadha's name is concerned, the party can play a big gamble by bringing him into Delhi politics. Delhi currently needs a caretaker Chief Minister, for which it is not necessary for him to be elected as a member of the House.
In such a scenario and keeping in view the Dalit vote bank in the upcoming elections, the party can also consider the names of Kuldeep Kumar and Girish Soni as they are Dalit leaders. As Rakhi Birla being in controversies, the party may not consider her name, according to sources. Former ministers Rajendra Pal Gautam and Raj Kumar Anand have left the party so the party can try to woo the Dalit vote bank.
Meanwhile, senior Congress leader and former MP from Delhi, Sandeep Dixit, has criticised Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Dixit believes that Kejriwal should have resigned from his position a long time ago, especially since he has faced legal issues. Dixit thinks that Kejriwal’s attempt to step down now is just for show. He pointed out that it's unusual for someone in a high position to be jailed and then after being released on bail, be told by the court not to do their job or stay in their office.
Read more: From Jail To Bail: Kejriwal’s Journey in Liquor Scam Case
