CM Kejriwal’s ‘health in jail’ may bring AAP, Congress together again

The AAP has alleged that Kejriwal’s sugar levels have dropped below 50 on 34 occasions since he entered prison on March 23 after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested him in the excise policy case. The party has alleged that insulin doses meant for Kejriwal are being deliberately withheld as part of a “conspiracy” to harm him, posing a danger to his long-term health.

AAP insiders said the issue of Kejriwal’s failing health was raised by its Rajya Sabha MPs Sanjay Singh and Raghav Chadha at an INDIA bloc meeting earlier this week. Following the meeting, Singh said a call on when and where a protest over the issue would be held would be taken later.

A senior Congress leader said the party would decide on how to participate in the protest. “They (AAP) have initiated the protest and we are likely to participate. But who goes from our party to participate in the protest will be decided in due course of time. The AAP has extended the invite to all INDIA bloc parties. But whether we take part wholeheartedly or if the participation is a token will be worked out. So far, no decision has been made on this,” said the leader.

A senior Delhi Congress leader said the decision by the party’s high command would be “limited to the national stage” and not have a bearing on the party’s decision to go it alone in the Delhi elections. “Whether or not the party takes part in the protest is immaterial; we have already announced that we will contest the Delhi Assembly elections alone on each of the 70 segments and remain firm on that stand,” the leader said.

Even as Congress sources said a review of the party’s performance in the Lok Sabha elections in Delhi — it contested three seats and the AAP four — had informed its decision to go it alone in the Assembly polls, AAP sources said there was “still time”.

During the Congress review, all three of its Lok Sabha candidates — J P Agarwal (Chandni Chowk), Udit Raj (North West Delhi ) and Kanhaiya Kumar (North East Delhi) — are learnt to have blamed the AAP for their losses, telling the All India Congress Committee’s (AICC) two-member fact-finding committee that they faced a lack of cooperation from the AAP during their campaigns. Since the parliamentary elections, the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) has targeted the AAP on various issues, ranging from the water crisis during the recent heatwave to the city’s crumbling civic infrastructure. Several Delhi Congress leaders have also accused Kejriwal of being “corrupt” besides taking potshots at AAP ministers, including Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj, regularly.

A Congress source said, “If the party wants to reclaim the ground that rightfully belongs to it in the city and resurrect its organisation, there is no other option that it has instead of contesting the Delhi Assembly elections on its own.”.

“This call for the protest has been given by the party’s national leadership, not by leaders in Delhi; as far as the Delhi elections are concerned, there is still time to iron out our issues,” said an AAP insider.