(Image source from: Twitter.com/AamAadmiParty)
The interim bail granted to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by the Supreme Court in the liquor policy case means that he will now be able to hold a roadshow in South Delhi on Saturday. Kejriwal will be joined by other top Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders, including Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, at the main Mehrauli market of the national capital at 4 pm. The roadshow marks the beginning of Kejriwal's poll campaign in the midst of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024. AAP leader Sahiram Pahalwan will be contesting against Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Ramvir Singh Bidhuri in South Delhi seat. The Enforcement Directorate arrested Kejriwal on March 21, and he has been granted bail until June 1, the final day of polling for general elections. AAP has been focusing on Kejriwal's arrest until now, but with the bail granted, the party can shift its focus to campaigning for the upcoming elections.
A poster of Delhi Chief Minister behind bars was recently circulated, but now that Arvind Kejriwal is out on bail, the campaign strategy for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will change. Kejriwal's upcoming roadshow, set to be his first for the Lok Sabha election in 2024, will feature the slogan "Tiger is back." Before the roadshow, Kejriwal will visit the Hanuman Mandir in Connaught Place. While the AAP has already started to redraw its campaign strategy with a focus on Kejriwal during his interim bail, he is only prohibited from visiting the Chief Minister's Office and the Delhi Secretariat and referring to the Delhi liquor policy case in his speeches. Sources suggest that Kejriwal's campaign in the upcoming weeks will center on the "fight against dictatorship" to "save democracy and constitution." In alliance with the Congress party as part of opposition INDIA bloc, the AAP is contesting elections in Delhi.
According to the agreement on seat distribution, the party will be running in 13 seats independently in Punjab. Until May 23, the Delhi Chief Minister has been concentrating on the national capital for the May 25 elections. However, Kejriwal is now planning to campaign in Punjab after this date. He may also travel to Kurukshetra in Haryana before the polls on May 25. The AAP is taking part in the Kurukshetra race in Haryana as a result of a seat-sharing deal with the Congress.
Although AAP has not secured a Lok Sabha seat in Delhi, it was successful in winning one seat in Punjab during the 2019 elections and four seats in 2014. Meanwhile, the BJP has reportedly restructured its election strategy in Delhi, where it won all seven Lok Sabha seats in 2014 and 2019. Sources suggest that the BJP will be more aggressive towards the INDIA bloc and Arvind Kejriwal than it has been in the past. The party believes that Kejriwal’s release could hinder its chances of winning at least three out of the seven Delhi seats, namely Northeast Delhi, Chandni Chowk, and West Delhi, as these areas have a high population of JJ colonies and slums, which have historically been AAP and Congress supporters. The BJP leader stated that in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the party secured just over 40% of the vote share from residents of these areas, while the rest was split between AAP and Congress. Following Kejriwal’s release, Union Minister Amit Shah reminded the public of the excise policy scam, stating that this was not regular bail, but rather interim bail.
According to Shah, whenever he campaigns, people will remember the excise scam. Kejriwal's release has given a boost to the opposition INDIA bloc, which includes two opposition chief ministers who have been in jail during the election season. Hemant Soren, another opposition chief minister, resigned before being arrested. Kejriwal remained the CM in jail. The Samajwadi Party, Congress, and Trinamool Congress welcomed his release and Kejriwal may campaign for INDIA bloc in seats beyond Delhi and Punjab if other parties request it. Political analyst Rahul Verma believes Kejriwal's campaigning style may make the Lok Sabha contest difficult for the BJP in Delhi.
