Arvind Kejriwal, wife Sunita among AAP’s star campaigners for Gujarat

This is the first time that the AAP has named Kejriwal’s wife as a star campaigner; her name figures at the second spot after the chief minister’s name

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday named jailed Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, his wife Sunita Kejriwal and two jailed former ministers Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain among its star campaigners for the Lok Sabha elections in Gujarat. This is the first time that the AAP has named Kejriwal’s wife as a star campaigner; her name figures at the second spot after the chief minister’s name.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal (right) and his wife Sunita Kejriwal (left). (File Photos)

The AAP’s list of 40 star campaigners for Gujarat also includes Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann, Rajya Sabha MPs Sanjay Singh, Sandeep Pathak and Raghav Chadha, and Delhi ministers Atishi, Saurabh Bharadwaj, Kailash Gahlot and Imran Hussain.

According to the Election Commission, a recognised national or state party can have a maximum of 40 star campaigners. Expenditure incurred by star campaigners are added to the party’s account, while expenses by others get added to the candidates’ account.

To be sure, the Rouse Avenue court on Monday extended the judicial custody of Arvind Kejriwal till April 23 in connection with the alleged irregularities in the Delhi excise policy 2021-22. The judicial custody of Manish Sisodia was extended till April 18.

It is not sure if electioneering by Sunita Kejriwal is a step towards the beginning of her political career. An AAP leader seeking anonymity said Sunita is likely to be included in the star campaigner list for Delhi as well, which is likely to be out soon.

Since Kejriwal’s arrest on March 21, Sunita, a former Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer, has held meetings with the leaders of the AAP as well as the opposition INDIA bloc amid the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s allegations that the ruling party was pitching her as the next chief minister. She also addressed a mega rally of the INDIA bloc at Delhi’s Ramlia Maidan on March 31.

With its top leaders behind bars, the AAP has been facing a crisis ahead of the Lok Sabha polls though Sanjay Singh’s release from jail on April 3 infused fresh energy into the embattled party.

The BJP had earlier accused the AAP of projecting Kejriwal’s wife as the next chief minister of Delhi. However, the AAP has reiterated that Kejriwal will run the government from jail if he is not released. The party has maintained that the probe in the excise case was part of a political conspiracy to crush the party. It has accused the BJP of attempting to destabilise and topple the AAP government.

The AAP is contesting four seats in Delhi, 13 in Punjab, one in Haryana and two each in Gujarat, and Assam.