Arvind Kejriwal Resigns, Delhi CM to be Chosen Today

Today marks a significant moment in Delhi’s political landscape as Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is expected to resign at 4:30 pm after meeting with Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena. This comes just days after Kejriwal, granted bail in the liquor policy case, shook the political scene by announcing on September 15 that he would resign within two days.

A key meeting of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs is scheduled for 11:30 am at Kejriwal’s residence, where they will choose Delhi’s next Chief Minister. Among the top contenders are Delhi ministers Atishi, Gopal Rai, Saurabh Bharadwaj, and Kailash Gahlot, while former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia is not in the running, having recently been granted bail in the liquor policy case.

This political maneuver comes ahead of next year’s Assembly elections in February, with Kejriwal pushing for elections to be held in November alongside the Maharashtra polls. The AAP leader’s resignation is being viewed as an effort to regain moral standing amid corruption allegations and the arrests of senior party leaders.

Kejriwal has vowed to return as Chief Minister only if he wins the upcoming elections and receives what he calls a “certificate of honesty” from the people of Delhi. The BJP, however, has criticized Kejriwal’s move, calling it a “drama” and a sign of “infighting” within AAP.

In recent discussions with senior AAP leaders, including Raghav Chadha and Manish Sisodia, Kejriwal reportedly assessed their opinions on potential successors. Although ministers Atishi, Gopal Rai, Kailash Gahlot, and Saurabh Bharadwaj are leading contenders, names such as Mangolpuri MLA Rakhi Birla and Minister Imran Hussain could also surprise political observers.

Kejriwal’s release from Tihar Jail last Friday, after being granted bail in the excise policy case, has significantly altered Delhi’s political environment, and today’s events will likely shape the road ahead for both Kejriwal and AAP.