AAP leader Atishi to succeed Arvind Kejriwal as Delhi CM
New Delhi/IBNS: Top Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Atishi will succeed party chief Arvind Kejriwal as the Delhi Chief Minister.
Kejriwal had proposed the name of Atishi in the party's legislative meeting. Atishi has been elected as the leader by the party.
Kejriwal announced the stepping down from the Chief Minister's post dramatically after walking out of jail securing a bail in the excise policy case.
As a Chief Minister, Kerjiwal was barred by the Supreme Court from signing any document and entering into the secretariat building.
He demanded the polls in Delhi, which are scheduled to be held in February, should be hosted in November along with elections in Maharashtra.
"I am here to ask people whether they consider Kejriwal to be guilty or innocent?" he said.
He said someone else from the AAP will serve as the Chief Minister until the polls are held.
Slamming the Bharatiya Janata Party, he said the political outfit put him behind bars since it was scared of his performance.
"The only thing I have is honesty," he said.
The Supreme Court on Friday granted bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation in connection with the excise policy case.
Kejriwal was arrested by the CBI in June when he was already in Tihar Jail in connection with the same case.
The Aam Aadmi Party supremo has been in jail since March 21 when he was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate over money laundering allegations while framing the Delhi liquor policy for 2021-22, which was later scrapped after the Lieutenant Governor raised red flags.
He was arrested by the CBI on June 26.
The ED has alleged the money Kejriwal got from the liquor sellers was used to fund the party's campaign in Goa since he is the convenor of the AAP.
Kejriwal was given an interim bail in May for a brief period until June 2, 2024 for campaigning in the Lok Sabha polls.