Newsmaker | ‘Thank u Sunita’: Enter Mrs Kejriwal

Nine years on from that afternoon, with Kejriwal in Enforcement Directorate custody in the Delhi excise policy case, Sunita, 58, is now being talked about as her husband’s sole possible replacement — both within the AAP as well as in Delhi’s power corridors – if and when the need arises.

Since Kejriwal’s arrest, Sunita has addressed the public twice in video messages shared by the party, while seated in a chair flanked by the Tricolour and portraits of Bhagat Singh and B R Ambedkar — quite like the Delhi CM — the second one released on Wednesday.

Thank u Sunita for always being there “@rsaraf007: Sunita Kejriwal and @ArvindKejriwal first pics after winning pic.twitter.com/eDLxfxKMbd“

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) February 10, 2015

In her addresses, in Hindi, she has conveyed Kejriwal’s “message” of undying commitment to his supporters.

In a rare post on X soon after his arrest, she took on the Modi government, accusing it of “arrogance of power” in going after “aap ke 3 baar chune hue Mukhyamantri (your three-time elected CM)”.

It is she that leaders of other INDIA parties have come calling on, to express solidarity following Kejriwal’s arrest.

The invisible presence

This status update may surprise outsiders, as Sunita has generally shunned the limelight, even as she began nurturing Kejriwal’s constituency New Delhi along with their daughter Harshita soon after he became CM.

However, to those within Kejriwal’s close circles, her stepping up to the plate at this make-or-break time for her husband is only “logical”.

They talk about her hand in the many turns the AAP supremo’s life has taken — while taking care not to be seen doing so. So, if she ensured that AAP supporters turning up for meetings at the CM’s camp office didn’t go away hungry, and re-posted significant AAP-related announcements, she also ensured she never breached propriety and attended a party event.

This measured distance might now come in handy, as a probe shadow hangs over Sunita regarding revamp of the CM’s residence. With Sunita having no role on paper, these charges may be hard to stick. However, as she takes on a more public responsibility, could the agencies go after her too, even as the BJP labels Kejriwal as yet another dynast?

That is the question weighing on AAP mind.

An AAP insider told The Indian Express: “There has been no discussion regarding a succession plan, either at the helm of the government or the party. But it would be incorrect to say that Sunitaji will not be considered for either role… if not both. No one is as acceptable as her… Everyone from AAP ministers to volunteers have interacted with her over the past 12 years, and few have a bad thing to say. Plus, she bears the very name that holds the party together: Kejriwal.”

The flip side of why this is, is that Kejriwal has not let a second line of leadership bloom, keeping the party firmly under his control – a vacuum increasingly felt since the arrest of his confidant and former Deputy CM Manish Sisodia.

This also underlies the fear among party ranks that the AAP may not hold together for long in the absence of Kejriwal.

The companion

Arvind and Sunita are said to have met during their training days at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie. Kejriwal has spoken about knocking on her hostel door proposing marriage – and getting a yes.

Till her voluntary retirement came through in 2016, Sunita served in key departments including the Serious Frauds Unit as an IRS official.

The first glimpses of a public profile came two years after Kejriwal became CM when, in May 2017, Sunita took on then Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, after the death of her sister’s husband following allegations of graft. He died of a heart attack soon after investigation began into an alleged PWD scam involving a firm linked to him, which also saw his son’s arrest. The case later went into cold storage.

Sunita posted: “Respected @LtGovDelhi, you may be aware that the former LG is suffering from severe illness and he regretted what he did with AAP govt. Harassing my widow sister besides the constant harassment of AAP govt is inhuman. It is said that ‘karma’ never leaves its ‘karta’. Regards.”

A few days later, quoting a tweet by then Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain following a CBI raid at his residence, Sunita called it “Height of vandetta”.

Sunita Kejriwal, wife of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, leaves from the Enforcement Directorate’s office, in New Delhi on Saturday. (Photo: PTI)

After Kapil Mishra levelled allegations of corruption against the entire AAP top brass as he left the party for the BJP the same year, Sunita posted on social media: “Law of Nature never errs. Seeds of betrayal, false accusations sown, so shall he @KapilMishraAAP reap. Inevitable.”

Those outside the AAP had their first close glimpse of Sunita when she received leaders from across political parties during the hunger strike held by Kejriwal and senior AAP leaders inside Raj Niwas following a confrontation with the Lieutenant Governor in June 2018.

While Sunita’s role as a campaigner has also been growing recently, party leaders point out that it was in the capacity of Kejriwal’s “family member” or for specific individuals, not as an AAP representative.

In the run-up to the Punjab Assembly elections in February 2022, for instance, Sunita went to seek votes for her “brother-in-law” Bhagwant Mann.

A few months later, the Delhi Lokayukta received a complaint naming Sunita in connection with an alleged illegal land transaction in Haryana’s Bhiwani, Kejriwal’s home district.

Later, probes related to “exorbitant” modifications at the CM’s official Flagstaff Road residence would mention a “CM Madam”.

The reaction

Back in April 2023, when Kejriwal was questioned by the CBI in the Delhi excise policy case, the BJP first talked about Sunita as his possible “successor”.

As she takes on a larger role, the BJP has questioned the “message” behind the public appearances of Sunita, who is allowed daily visits to Kejriwal in ED custody.

Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva has “congratulated” the AAP for “becoming a dynastic party”, with “Mrs Sunita Kejriwal managing the party’s affairs through daily briefings”. Raising “Constitutional impropriety”, Rohini BJP MLA Vijender Gupta said: “Mrs Sunita Kejriwal… was observed delivering a statement from Mr Kejriwal in a setting that strikingly resembled the official backdrop used by the Chief Minister… led to perceptions of an unofficial assumption of the voice and authority of the Chief Minister.”

Within the AAP too, not all are sanguine about the developments. Many flag two critical issues related to Sunita replacing Kejriwal – political and legal. If she replaces her husband as CM, it would entail her fighting a by-election as she is not an MLA. The AAP is wary of facing an Assembly election any time soon, particularly if it comes after a BJP win in the Lok Sabha polls.

AAP sceptics also point out that with the ED looking at the party itself as an accused, Sunita could face action if she is the AAP’s new head.

An insider said that a more practical thing would be for Sunita to take over “in a caretaker / working convenor capacity”.

Given the precarious situation the party is in, with all its senior leadership behind bars, any qualms about the CM replacing himself with his wife, if any, are muted.

Yet others say that such conjectures are pointless, as all depends on the Centre. On how it wants the Delhi impasse to play out — and for how long.