Alleging plot to arrest Arvind Kejriwal, AAP goes into huddle on what if

On Tuesday, party leaders, including ministers Gopal Rai, Atishi, Saurabh Bharadwaj, Dilip Pandey and Sandeep Pathak alleged that the BJP wants to get Kejriwal arrested to “destroy” the AAP.

“A conspiracy has been underway to eliminate the AAP government since it came to power, and now BJP leaders are preparing for Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest through the ED. BJP leaders have been shouting since Monday that since the Supreme Court has rejected Manish Sisodiaji’s bail application, Arvind Kejriwal will be arrested,” Rai said.

For AAP, finding a leader to temporarily replace Kejriwal is not going to be easy. With its former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh in jail in the same case and former health minister Satyendar Jain on bail in a different matter relating to money laundering, its pick of leaders is limited.

This is not the first time that the party has had to go into a huddle, fearing the CM’s arrest. According to party sources, when Kejriwal was called for questioning by the CBI in April, the names of senior leaders like Gopal Rai and Sanjay Singh were discussed.

Party sources said Rai is among the names being discussed this time too, along with senior party leaders Ram Niwas Goel and Atishi.

“The final decision lies solely with the CM. There are many considerations that need to be taken into account. Before he goes for questioning, some of these things need to be ironed out,” said a senior party leader.

Rai was part of the India Against Corruption movement and has been a part of AAP since the party was founded in 2012. He is the Delhi state convener and a member of AAP’s Political Affairs Committee. Goel, a former BJP MLA who joined AAP in 2014, is the Delhi Assembly Speaker. Atishi has the most portfolios in the Delhi Cabinet at present.

According to sources, the party is also discussing the mobilisation of ground support in case Kejriwal is arrested on Thursday.

While governance in Delhi is not an immediate problem since Kejriwal, as Chief Minister, does not hold any portfolio, the more pressing concern, sources said, was to keep the AAP’s flock together. The party has 62 MLAs in a 70-member Assembly. While several of its MLAs are serving their third term (since 2013) there are a few new entrants — some from the BJP and Congress.

“The challenge is to find someone who is acceptable to MLAs and who can exert a degree of authority, because if the CM is arrested, it is going to be the biggest challenge that the AAP will have faced so far. It needs to keep the MLAs united. The ideal choice would be someone who has been with the party since the beginning and is trusted by the top leadership. An experienced hand, who understands the ins and outs of Delhi politics, is also crucial,” said a party source.

There is also the matter of appointing a party chief, for the time being. Kejriwal has been the AAP’s national convenor since its inception in 2012.

Moreover, the party is also contesting the coming Assembly polls in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, where its campaigns are being overseen by Rajya Sabha MP and national general secretary Sandeep Pathak and national secretary Pankaj Gupta.

“At the national level, the responsibilities were delegated even as the Opposition alliance talks were underway. The macro vision for the party in the states is clear and we can continue working on those lines,” said a senior party leader.