What interim bail for Arvind Kejriwal means for AAP, INDIA bloc

The Delhi CM is expected to bring order to the Opposition’s campaign in Delhi, where synergy between the AAP and Congress has been observed only in a few constituencies.

3 min readNew DelhiMay 11, 2024 03:34 PM IST First published on: May 10, 2024 at 03:22 PM IST

With Arvind Kejriwal set to be back after being granted interim bail by the Supreme Court in the excise policy case on Friday, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is looking forward to a clear direction for its Lok Sabha poll campaign and a re-energised cadre.

When the Delhi Chief Minister walks out of jail — likely on Friday evening, according to AAP leaders — polling has yet to take place in 18 of the 22 Lok Sabha constituencies that the AAP is contesting: four in Delhi, 13 in Punjab, and one in Haryana. AAP leaders said after leaving Tihar Kejriwal is likely to head home and mark the start of his campaign with a speech.

“It is a big leg-up for us. We have campaigned well so far and the issue of him being arrested before the elections has been raised at every platform — right from the court of the people to the court of law. It is no secret that he is the best speaker we have. He has been watching whatever is unfolding closely and will hit the ground running,” said a senior AAP leader.

The AAP cancelled all its campaign plans for the day as soon as the court’s orders were announced, with all party leaders instructed to reach the headquarters. While Delhi and Haryana vote on May 25 in the sixth phase, Punjab goes to polls on June 1, the day Kejriwal’s interim bail expires.

“In Delhi, he is expected to not only campaign in the four seats where the AAP is contesting but also in the remaining three where the INDIA bloc has Congress candidates,” said an AAP leader.

Punjab will be a big focus area for Kejriwal as well as the party. It is the one state where AAP is contesting the maximum number of seats and not in alliance with the Congress. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has been holding fort in the state so far and was also scheduled to campaign in Delhi on Saturday.

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Apart from the campaign, Kejriwal is also expected to bring order to the campaign in Delhi, where several coordination meetings have been held between AAP and Congress leaders to ensure a seamless campaign between the two parties. However, synergy between the two parties has been observed only in a few constituencies.

“The biggest blow to the party because of the arrests for Manish Sisodia and Kejriwal was that the organisational hierarchy was not the strongest. With Kejriwal walking out of jail, these issues will get ironed out,” said an AAP insider.

The AAP’s campaign so far focused on Kejriwal’s arrest. That will also change. “Over the past month, there is immense sympathy among the people because of his arrest. When he is out for roadshows and public meetings, the people will come out in droves. The message of the unfairness of this present government, of the dictatorial nature of the government will be spelt out clearly,” said the AAP functionary.