After 900 days in jail, why Satyendar Jain’s release is a booster for AAP before Delhi polls

One of the most prominent AAP ministers in Delhi in the then seven-member Arvind Kejriwal Cabinet prior to his arrest – he held portfolios of health, power, home, public works department and urban development among others – Jain’s release, AAP insiders said, came as a shot in the arm for it ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections due early next year, but what it means politically for Jain himself remains unclear at the moment.

“Delhi’s hospitals were getting 18,000 more beds, there is no country in the world where the expansion of government hospitals was being taken up at such a scale. If this had been achieved, (the BJP) would have got exposed in front of the people. That is why Satyendar Jain was arrested, so that work meant for the people does not get accomplished,” Jain alleged on Saturday.

Former Delhi deputy CM Manish Sisodia embraces AAP leader Satyendar Jain after the latter’s release from Tihar Jail. (Photo: Manish Sisodia/ X)

Following Manish Sisodia’s arrest in February last year, both he and Jain had resigned from their respective berths on the Delhi Cabinet. Their individual portfolios were then distributed between Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj, who were then sworn in as ministers.

“Given how close the Assembly elections are, Jain’s reinduction into the Cabinet seems highly unlikely. On the other hand, given his health and his prolonged incarceration for almost two years, the party wants to give him some time to settle in, to think about and choose his future course of action,” an AAP insider said.

Though he was unable to be part of the contingent of senior AAP leaders that went to receive Jain outside Tihar prison on Friday evening since he was in attendance at his daughter Harshita’s engagement, AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal addressed a significant organisational meeting on Jain’s turf in Pitampura on Saturday evening.

“Arvind ji met him (Jain) very warmly at the (engagement) ceremony on Friday evening and addressed AAP MLAs, councillors and all organisational office bearers at one of the most important meetings related to the Delhi elections in Jain’s constituency on Saturday,” the insider added.

A man of a few words who tended to stay behind the scenes, Jain is not particularly considered as an organisational man, but was seen as a no-nonsense and strong minister. His arrest, unrelated to the Delhi excise policy case, was followed by that of former Delhi Deputy CM Sisodia, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh and finally CM Kejriwal himself.

After serving their respective stints behind bars, Singh, Sisodia and Kejriwal were released within months of each other; the only AAP leader currently in judicial custody is its Okhla MLA Amanatullah Khan, who was arrested by the ED in connection with a money laundering case related to alleged illegal recruitments in the Delhi Waqf Board.

“His (Jain’s) track record as a legislator may become an issue regarding his chances of being fielded for the Delhi Assembly elections,” a party source said. “He has not spent a single rupee from his MLALAD funds… Other AAP leaders like Arvind ji and Manish ji also went to jail but that did not deter them from working on and issuing directives regarding the development of their constituencies from behind bars,” the source said.

“Perhaps he did not do so because he is not in favour of contesting from Shakur Basti again – maybe he wants to be fielded from another constituency, maybe not at all,” the source claimed.