Kejriwal likely to resign tomorrow, AAP MLAs meet at 11 am to pick new CM | Top updates | Latest News India

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo Arvind Kejriwal is set to tender his resignation as the chief minister of Delhi on Tuesday, and the name of his successor is likely to be announced simultaneously. According to a notice by the AAP, they will hold a legislative party meeting around 11 am at Kejriwal’s residence to choose the new chief minister.

Kejriwal announced on Sunday that he will resign as the chief minister of Delhi in the next two days. The AAP leader, who was released on bail from Tihar jail on Friday in the excise policy case, vowed not to sit in the CM’s chair till people give him a “certificate of honesty”.

Here are the latest updates:

1. Kejriwal will meet the Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, at 4:30 pm on Tuesday – where he is likely to tender his resignation as the chief minister of Delhi. Simultaneously, the new CM will stake a claim for the post.
2. On Monday, Kejriwal held a “one-on-one” meeting with party leaders during the Political Affairs Committee to take their feedback on his replacement. “During the meeting, he sought one-on-one feedback from each leader on his replacement. Tomorrow, the legislative party meeting will be held, and this discussion will go into the second round,” AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj told the media.
3. AAP leaders, including Raghav Chadha, Manish Sisodia, Saurabh Bharadwaj, Kailash Gahlot, and Atishi, attended the PAC meeting.
4. The possible new chief minister probables include – Atishi, Saurabh Bharadwaj, Kailash Gahlot, Gopal Rai and Imran Hussain. The chance of Arvind Kejriwal’s wife, Sunita Kejriwal, occupying the post cannot be ruled out either.
5. Kejriwal has ruled out the possibility of his former deputy, Manish Sisodia, taking over as the chief minister and has confirmed that someone from the AAP will fill his position until the elections are held.
6. According to some party members, a Dalit leader could be appointed as the next chief minister. However, no specific names have been mentioned.
7. Announcing his resignation, Kejriwal had said: “I will only sit on the CM’s chair after people give me a certificate of honesty. I want to give ‘agnipariksha’ after coming out of jail. I will become chief minister and Manish Sisodia deputy CM only when people say we are honest.” He also called for early elections in the national capital in November 2024 – instead of February 2025.
8. The BJP termed Kejriwal’s announcement to step down as the CM as a “PR stunt”. BJP’s Delhi president, Virender Sachdeva, on Monday said that Kejriwal’s decision to resign was borne out of “compulsion” and not driven by “principle”. He also alleged that none of the Delhi government departments were free of corruption under Kejriwal’s rule.
9. Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit also criticised Kejriwal, calling his decision to resign “more about business than politics”. “The problem with Kejriwal is that if he hands over the power to someone who will start opening his files, hands over to someone who will stop the flow of money, then he will be ruined. This is not a normal transaction; this is a business deal, and the shares are being transferred. No sacrifice to anyone else,” he said.
10. AAP leader Sandeep Pathak said that Kejriwal does not have greed for power and honour is paramount for him. “He has vowed not to sit on the chief minister’s chair till people give him a certificate of honesty…The party workers will seek one chance for Arvind Kejriwal (AAP). We will tell them that if we do good work, then vote for us the next time, otherwise don’t,” he said.