Arvind Kejriwal’s bail massive boost to AAP’s campaign in Haryana and Delhi, say party leaders

The Supreme Court’s granting bail to Delhi chief minister and the Aam Aadmi Party’s tallest leader Arvind Kejriwal comes as a massive boost to the party which hopes to make forays in assembly polls in Haryana and retain power in Delhi which elects a new government early next year. The 56-year-old, who has been the fulcrum of the AAP’s election campaigns, will have a crucial role to play if the party were to succeed in mounting any significant challenge to the BJP and the Congress in Haryana which votes on October 5.

Party leaders say that with his fiery speeches and pointed jibes at rivals in Haryana, where the AAP is going solo, Kejriwal may tilt the scales in the favour of the Aam Aadmi Party in a state where it has no MP or MLA.

Soon after the apex court granted bail to Kejriwal, senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh said the AAP will defeat the BJP in Haryana and Delhi. “Kejriwal’s presence will strengthen us,” Singh said.

Party leader and Rajya Sabha MP Raghav expressed hope that the AAP supremo would take charge of Haryana assembly elections. “The party has fought elections in Gujarat and Delhi under his leadership and will contest the polls in Haryana too under him. I hope he will take charge of Haryana polls as soon as he is released (from Tihar Jail),” Chadha told reporters.

The Supreme Court Friday granted bail to Kejriwal in the corruption case lodged by the CBI in connection with the excise policy ‘scam’, saying prolonged incarceration amounts to unjust deprivation of liberty.

Observing that Kejriwal’s arrest by the CBI was unjustified, Supreme Court judge Justice Ujjal Bhuyan came down heavily on the probe agency, saying it must dispel the notion of being a “caged parrot”.

An AAP functionary said the fact that Kejriwal belongs to Haryana is a cherry on the top and a factor that the party will look to take advantage of in the days leading up to the polls. “He is the biggest face of the party. What was the entire purpose of putting him behind bars? The targeting of our leaders in various cases started after we became a national party. The whole objective of putting Kejriwal and (his former deputy) Manish Sisodia behind bars was to ensure that the party does not grow nationally,” a senior party functionary said. Talking about how the ‘Kejriwal’ factor will impact the Haryana polls, the senior leader said the AAP national convener belongs to Haryana and has a direct connection with the people there. “His oratory skills are well-known. His release will have quite a positive impact on the party as a whole,” he noted. Kejriwal’s presence will also help the party regroup and emerge as a formidable unit in poll-bound states. It will also impact the way the party projects its opinions on key issues, he said. During the alliance talks with the Congress for the Haryana polls, party leaders echoed varying sentiments and failed to navigate the lack of clarity. But with Kejriwal being around, the party’s stand on suhc issues will be more lucid and linear. Delhi will be going to elections early next year and his release could not have come at a better time for the party. “Sisodia’s ‘padyatras’ have benefitted us here and Kejriwal’s release will take the entire momentum to a new level,” said another party functionary. “The BJP thought that Kejriwal won’t step out of the jail before the Delhi elections and that would benefit them. But their plans failed. They had thought the government would fall after Kejriwal’s arrest but we stayed resolute,” the functionary said. Kejriwal is the third senior leader of the AAP to have secured bail from the apex court after party’s Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh and senior leader Manish Sisodia. Kejriwal’s bail will pave the way for the party to set its narrative of being a victim of the BJP’s “conspiracy” as it looks to make a mark in Haryana politics and win the people’s mandate again in Delhi next year, the functionary alleged. “His release will impact the political landscape in Delhi. The government had announced the Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Yojana to provide a honorarium of Rs 1,000 to women aged 18 or above who meet certain criteria. “The scheme is likely to see the light of the day and will benefit the party in the polls here,” he added.