Sisodia’s arrest deals a blow to AAP’sgovernance, expansion plans

The arrest comes just a week before Arvind Kejriwal is going to visit Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh to kick off party’s campaign ahead of state assembly elections

Being the face of the Aam Aadmi Party’s “Delhi model” of governance, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia’s arrest may hit the party’s plans to seek a nationwide political footprint as well as implementation of its flagship programmes, most notably in the education sector, which have been the focal point of its campaign in other states.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann address mediapersons outside deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia’s residence in New Delhi on Sunday. (Vipin Kumar/HT Photo)

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Sunday arrested Sisodia in connection with its probe into alleged irregularities in the implementation of the Delhi excise policy 2021-22.

Politically, the arrest comes just a week before Delhi chief minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal is going to visit Karnataka (March 4), Chhattisgarh (March 5), Rajasthan (March 13) and Madhya Pradesh (March 14) to kick off party’s campaign ahead of the state assembly elections in these states.

So far, while Sisodia has been piloting government in Delhi, Kejriwal had been carrying out party’s expansion plans. Sisodia’s arrest may hit this equation, said a senior AAP leader who asked not to be named.

The CBI action will also provide fresh ammunition to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) -- both in Delhi and Punjab -- to target the AAP. In Delhi, where the AAP won municipal corporation elections this year, the party is engaged in a battle with the BJP over in-House MCD polls. In Punjab, the BJP and others, including Akali Dal, are expected to use Sisodia’s arrest to attack AAP’s key polll plank of corruption-free governance.

The AAP has asserted that the charges against Sisodia are fake and politically motivated. Party MLA Atishi, in a press conference after the CBI announced Sisodia’s arrest, said the agency will not be able to establish corruption of not even a single rupee. Several senior AAP leaders on Sunday said that the BJP was “anxious” of the growing popularity of the AAP, and using central agencies to scuttle the party’s plans.

After three consecutive terms in power in Delhi, the AAP which was often dismissed as “one-state wonder” sprang a surprise in the 2022 Punjab assembly elections in which it swept to power in the important border state with a huge majority.

The party now boasts of 161 MLAs across the country, with 62 in Delhi, 92 in Punjab, 2 in Goa, and 5 in Gujarat. In addition, it has 10 Rajya Sabha members. It has also strengthened its grip on the governance of the capital by winning the Delhi municipal corporation polls last year by winning 134 out of 250 wards.

In both Delhi and Punjab, the party campaigned with promises of free power, water and a robust education and health delivery system. In Delhi, the party has improved government schools infra and ensured training of teachers with the state consistently allocating the maximum Budget to the education sector. It’s model of tertiary care Mohalla Clinics has been successfully providing health care to the citizens in their localities.

On his way to the CBI office for questioning on Sunday, Sisodia had said the case against him arose out of the BJP-led central government’s insecurity at the rising popularity of AAP. “Conspiracies are being hatched by the CBI and ED and false cases being lodged against our party leaders because PM Narendra Modi is afraid of CM Arvind Kejriwal’s rising popularity,” he had said.

Responding to his arrest later, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said, “It will strengthen our resolve. Our struggle will become stronger.”

Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor, however, said besides Punjab, the AAP has failed in every state where it has planned to create its footprint. “Even smaller states such as Uttarakhand, Goa, Himachal Pradesh have totally rejected AAP. In Punjab and Gujarat, the AAP has only replaced Congress. I believe the political journey here on will be too tough for AAP and it has to answer a lot of questions regarding its claims of corruption-free governance,” Kapoor said.

Tanvir Aeijaz associate professor of political science at Ramjas College, said he action against Sisodia was in the offing. “In Delhi, people’s support for AAP will increase if the case doesn’t head for a quick solution. AAP, meanwhile, must have prepared it’s defence. Losing Sisodia, however, would make it difficult for the AAP to concentrate on governance. If Sisodia, by any chance, comes out clean then AAP’s prospects of expansion will only be strengthened,” he said.