After repeated setbacks in the national Capital over the past couple of months — a comprehensive defeat in the Lok Sabha elections, questions raised about its governance record while its leader remains in prison, and a Supreme Court verdict allowing the Lieutenant Governor to nominate aldermen to the municipal corporation — Friday may have some relief in store for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) or pile on the misery. A two-judge Bench of the Supreme Court on Friday will pronounce its verdict on former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia’s bail petitionsin the excise policy case. The Bench of Justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan had reserved its judgment on August 6. Till now: The CBI arrested Sisodia under the Prevention of Corruption Act on February 26 last year while the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested him under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on March 9 the same year. After the Delhi High Court dismissed his bail application in May, the AAP leader moved the Supreme Court. On October 10, the top court dismissed his application even as it raised doubts about some of the charges the ED had levelled against him. However, the court said there was “material and evidence” that “tentatively” supports one of the charges under the PMLA. The court allowed Sisodia to file a fresh bail application if the trial was drawn out and subsequently dismissed pleas to review the order. On June 4, a vacation Bench of the court refused to entertain Sisodia’s bail pleas after the government assured that the chargesheet would be filed within a month. With the AAP leader seeking bail on the ground that the start of the trial had been delayed, the court on Tuesday asked realistically when the trial in the case would conclude. The verdict will be on Sisodia’s bail petitions in both the CBI and ED cases. In context: With the Capital’s civic infrastructure coming under strain after heavy Monsoon showers recently, the AAP government has found it increasingly difficult to govern the city. It has not only floundered in the absence of its top two leaders — CM Arvind Kejriwal and Sisodia — it is also struggling amid tension in its ties with Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena and what it alleges is a recalcitrant bureaucracy. But then again, as Mallica Joshi explains, the “AAP government has not tried to find a way to work with the Centre, opting for confrontation instead”. A relief for Sisodia from the court will help stabilise the party after weeks of turbulence. And with the Assembly elections a handful of months away, Sisodia’s return will give the party a much-needed lift. Big Congress rally in Karnataka The Congress will hold a rally in Mysuru on Friday to counter the padayatra that the BJP and Janata Dal (Secular) are currently on to protest against alleged irregularities in the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA). The name of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s wife Parvathi has cropped up, with the BJP accusing the CM of being involved in the alleged scam. The Congress’s rally comes a day before the Opposition parties’ seven-day padayatra from Bengaluru to Mysuru concludes on Saturday, The Congress is also scheduled to release a “chargesheet” against the Opposition parties, accusing them of widespread corruption during their rule in the state. Siddaramaiah himself has taken charge of the Friday rally. He was stationed in Mysuru for the past few days and on Wednesday oversaw the rally preparations. On Thursday, he returned to Mysuru after participating in some events in Bengaluru. In context: For Siddaramaiah, the heat he is facing outside could potentially weaken his position within the party, where his great rival is Deputy CM D K Shivakumar. However, as Johnson TA wrote earlier this week, the Congress is expected to defend Siddaramaiah politically and legally by projecting the corruption charges against him as alleged attempts by the BJP-led Centre to destabilise a popularly elected government. Siddaramaiah is also not expected to resign. However, there are signs that the Congress is also preparing for the outcome where a possible change of guard is required in case developments do not favour Siddaramaiah. Recommended reading: As Siddaramaiah faces BJP-JD(S) heat, Shivakumar moves in to lead Cong play Also happening today: 1. In the Lok Sabha, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will introduce the Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024; Union Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal will introduce the Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill, 2024, and the Bills of Lading Bill, 2024; and Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw will introduce the Railways (Amendment) Bill, 2024. Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal will move that a Bill to enable representation for Scheduled Tribes (STs) in the Goa Assembly be passed by the Lok Sabha. At present, the Assembly has 40 seats, of which one is reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs) while none are reserved for STs. 2. After meeting the officials of the Jammu and Kashmir administration in Srinagar, the Election Commission (EC) team headed by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar will head to Jammu where it is expected to meet political leaders from the region.
