Arvind Kejriwal to step down as Delhi CM

way2barak, Sept 15: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo Arvind Kejriwal Sunday declared that he would resign as the Chief Minister of Delhi after two days and will only helm the top post again when the people of Delhi give him a “certificate of honesty”. While the BJP has dismissed Kejriwal’s bombshell announcement as a “drama”, it’s however undeniable that Delhi’s political landscape will witness a drastic upheaval incase the AAP national convenor does indeed make good on his declaration and step down from the top post.

In such a scenario, which AAP leader would be picked to replace Arvind Kejriwal as the next chief minister of Delhi, is the question haunting everyone’s mind. Here are the top five contenders from AAP who could take the helm if Kejriwal steps down:

Sunita Kejriwal

The wife of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Sunita Kejriwal had never faced the limelight until the arrest of her husband following which she stepped into Arvind’s shoes and became one of AAP’s star campaigners in the party’s Lok Sabha poll campaigns in Delhi, Gujarat, and Haryana.

Sunita, a former Indian Revenue Services (IRS) akin to her husband, had served in the Income Tax Department for more than two decades, brought her bureaucrat fortitude and experience to the political battlefield and made an emotional connect with the people when she read out her husband’s messages from jail to his supporters, while sitting in the same chair in which Arvind Kejriwal used to sit before his arrest.

Manish Sisodia

A close aide of Arvind Kejriwal and the former Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, Manish Sisodia was also released on bail in the Delhi excise policy case last month after spending 17 months in prison. Once regarded as the number 2 in AAP’s hierarchy, Manish Sisodia is another possible choice for the top post if Kejriwal steps down.

However, though out on bail, the case against Sisodia has not been dismissed, and threat of being arrested once again will continue to loom over his head if he become the chief minister, which would essentially make Delhi’s top post vacant once again.

Atishi

A staunch critic of the BJP, the outspoken Delhi Education Minister could be a potential dark horse in the race for the top post. Atishi has essentially been the face of the Aam Aadmi Party since the March 21 arrest of Arvind Kejriwal.

After Kejriwal’s arrest, Atishi led a vociferous campaign across Delhi against his incarceration, besides also taking care of most of the vital departments which ensure the Delhi government functioned smoothly in absence of the chief minister. Some of key ministries held by Atishi are Education, Finance, Planning, PWD, Water, Power and Public Relations.

Kailash Gahlot

Delhi’s Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot, who is often credited with innovative and transformative changes which have bettered national capital transport systems is another top choice for the chief ministerial post. A veteran politician and one of the most senior leaders in AAP, Kailash Gahlot’s work in the Delhi’s transport department is in itself a powerful resume for his case to ascend to the city’s top post.

Gopal Rai

A grassroots-level worker and one of the founding members of AAP, Gopal Rai is another frontrunner for the chief minister’s post if Arvind Kejriwal steps down.

Rai, 49, is the Cabinet Minister for Environment, Forest and wildlife, Development and General Administration Department, in the Kejriwal-led Delhi government, as is regarded as a veteran politician who is in touch with the roots of the national capital, having a deep connection with the city’s working class.