Kejriwal to resign after 2 days, vows to return only with ‘certificate of honesty’

New Delhi: In an unexpected and dramatic turn of events, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced on Sunday that he would resign after two days and sought early polls in the national capital, sparking widespread speculation about his motives and the potential ramifications for Delhi’s political landscape. He vowed not to sit in the chief minister’s chair till people give him a “certificate of honesty”.

“I want to undergo an ‘agnipariksha’ after coming out of jail,” he said.

The sudden announcement came just two days after Kejriwal’s release from nearly six months of incarceration related to a high-profile excise policy case being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Speaking at the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) headquarters, Kejriwal stated: “I will not sit in the CM’s chair until the people of Delhi give their verdict. I will resign after two days.” Kejriwal asserted that his resignation was a matter of principle, not personal ambition.

The announcement was coupled with a demand for early Assembly elections.

“Delhi elections are due in February, but I demand that elections in the national capital be held in November alongside Maharashtra,” he said.

The AAP national convener added: “I will become chief minister, and Manish Sisodia will become deputy CM only when people say we are honest.”

Alleging that the BJP tried to prove him corrupt, Kejriwal said the saffron party could not provide good schools and free electricity to people because they are corrupt. “We are honest,” he asserted.

“They file false cases against non-BJP chief ministers. If they are arrested, I urge them not to resign but to run the government from jail,” the Delhi chief minister said.

“I didn’t resign after my arrest in the excise policy case because I respect democracy, and the Constitution is supreme for me,” Kejriwal said, asserting that only AAP can stand up to the BJP’s “conspiracies.”

Referring to his quitting the chief minister’s post in 2014 over the Jan Lokpal Bill just 49 days after assuming power, Kejriwal said: “I resigned then for my ideals. I do not have a lust for power.”

He asked people to vote in his favour only if they considered him honest. “For me, the BJP is not important; people are important,” he said.

“Our leaders Satyendar Jain and Amanatullah Khan are still in jail. I hope they come out soon,” the chief minister told AAP workers, thanking God “who was with us through difficulties.”

Reflecting on his time in jail, Kejriwal mentioned letters written by freedom fighter Bhagat Singh while in British captivity.

“I wrote only one letter to the Lieutenant Governor from Tihar and received a warning.

“Our freedom fighters were allowed meetings with colleagues, but my party colleague Sandeep Pathak was not allowed to meet me in jail,” he said.

In a poignant reflection on his political journey, Kejriwal spoke about his decision to leave a lucrative career as a Commissioner in the Income Tax Department to work in Delhi’s slums.

“If I wanted to earn money, the job of Commissioner, Income Tax wasn’t bad. When I quit the job, there was no party, no future. I never thought at the time that I would become the Chief Minister. I had only one passion, to do something for the country,” he reminisced.

His unexpected announcement to resign after two days also ignited speculation about possible replacements, including his wife Sunita, and ministers Atishi and Gopal Rai.

Although there was no official comment from AAP on Kejriwal’s successor, sources suggested that Sunita Kejriwal, a former IRS officer, could be a potential candidate.

Kejriwal said the next chief minister would be decided at a party MLA meeting on Tuesday.

Other potential candidates include ministers Kailash Gahlot and Saurabh Bharadwaj. There is also speculation that AAP may field a Dalit or Muslim legislator as a candidate for the chief minister’s post, given the presence of 12 reserved constituencies and a significant minority population in Delhi.

Kejriwal’s resignation is seen by political analysts as a strategic move to reframe his narrative in the face of mounting criticism and legal challenges.

Opposition parties responded with a mixture of scepticism and criticism. BJP spokesperson Harish Khurana questioned the timing of Kejriwal’s resignation, stating: “Why after 48 hours? He should resign today. He has done this before. People of Delhi are asking, why can’t he go to the secretariat or sign documents? What’s the point?”

Similarly, Vijender Gupta, Leader of the Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, criticised Kejriwal’s resignation as a tactical manoeuvre to avoid scrutiny. “After running the government from jail for the last six months, Kejriwal is resigning now, just months before the elections. His resignation is an attempt to play the victim card and avoid answering questions about corruption and governance failures,” he said.

The Delhi state Congress, however, welcomed the resignation, albeit with reservations. Delhi Congress chief Devendra Yadav remarked: “It would have been better if he had resigned when Delhi was facing floods and water shortages. I hope Delhi soon gets a new Chief Minister who can go to his office and sign files.”