India: Can opposition leader Kejriwal make a comeback?

Arvind Kejriwal, one of India's leading opposition figures, resigned from his post as New Delhi's chief minister last week, days after he was released from prison on bail in a bribery case.

Former Delhi education minister Atishi Marlena Singh has taken over as the new chief minister of India's national capital territory, Kejirwal's Aam Aadmi Party (Common Man's Party, or AAP) announced last week, two days after the party leader said he was resigning. 

Kejriwal, a vocal critic of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, spent six months behind bars on charges related to Delhi's liquor policy.

Kejriwal has consistently denied the accusations and called them a political conspiracy.

"I decided that I will go to the court of my people, who should tell me whether I am honest or not," Arvind Kejriwal said on Sunday, addressing supporters for the first time since stepping down as chief minister of New Delhi.

In an event titled Janta Ki Adalat, or People's Court, Kejriwal took aim at Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing the government of corruption and using national law enforcement and intelligence bodies to control state governments.

How did Kejriwal end up in prison?

India's Enforcement Directorate, an agency controlled by Modi's government that was established to fight financial crimes, accused Kejriwal's party of accepting 1 billion rupees ($12 million, €11 million) in bribes from liquor contractors.

He was imprisoned on March 21, just days before India's 2024 general elections. 

Opposition parties widely condemned Kejriwal's arrest as politically motivated, accusing Modi's government of misusing federal investigation agencies to harass and weaken its political opponents.

The move also drew international condemnation, with a spokesperson for Germany's foreign office saying that Berlin had taken note of the situation.

"We assume and expect that the standards relating to independence of judiciary and basic democratic principles will also be applied in this case," said Sebastian Fischer at a press conference in March, adding that Kejriwal is entitled to a fair and impartial trial like anybody else.

Commenting on Berlin's stance, India's Ministry of External Affairs said the remarks were "interfering in our judicial process and undermining the independence of our judiciary." 

Kejriwal steps down to reclaim anti-corruption image

Kejriwal was granted bail for several weeks to campaign for the polls but returned to police custody after voting ended. The opposition leader has maintained his innocence, claiming he is being targeted by the Modi government.

"He is being portrayed as someone who, despite his anti-corruption stance, is actually corrupt," Sumit Ganguly, senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University, told DW. "That is the challenge he faces from the government."

After spending months in New Delhi's Tihar jail, he was granted bail by the Supreme Court of India on September 13 — but with curtailed powers. He was not allowed to visit the chief minister's office or Delhi Secretariat as part of bail conditions, prompting him to step down from his post.

"He was in prison for nearly six months in the liquor licensing case, but he did not resign. But he finally resigned to reclaim his image as an anti-corruption crusader which has been dented by the liquor case," Zoya Hasan, a political scientist at Jawaharlal Nehru University, told DW, adding that Kejriwal stepped down to boost his party's morale, which had waned in the last few months.

An anti-corruption crusader?

Kejriwal, a career administrator, began his political career as a leader of India's anti-corruption movement in 2011. He launched the AAP with a vow to rid the political system of corruption.

Serving as Dehli's chief minister for over a decade, his reputation as an anti-corruption crusader was dented during this year's general elections, as the BJP won all seven seats in New Dehli, AAP's stronghold.  

"Kejriwal campaigned as a victim of BJP's authoritarian regime in the 2024 parliamentary elections when he was out on bail for the election campaign," said Hasan. "However, the 'victim card' did not work."

Despite this setback, Kejriwal has remained a vocal critic of the BJP and its leadership, emerging as a prominent voice in India's opposition alliance.

"Many voters still see him as an anti-corruption crusader which helped his dramatic rise in politics," Hasan said. "That's why the BJP is doing its utmost to undermine his anti-corruption credentials."

Who has replaced Kejriwal?

Kejriwal named Atishi Marlena Singh as his replacement for the post of chief minister while he fights off corruption charges. She took charge on September 23. Singh, a well-known educator, became the third woman chief minister of Delhi, following Sushma Swaraj and Sheila Dixit. She is also the youngest person to serve as Delhi's chief minister.

"Kejriwal is going to be distracted while he fights these charges in court," Ganguly said. "It could be a while before there is a resolution, and the government will find a way to drag this out. So it makes perfect sense for him to step aside."

As he fights the corruption charges, Kejriwal has placed the decision in the hands of the people of Delhi. While the capital is scheduled to hold elections in February 2025, the AAP is pushing for the polls to be held as early as November.

Kejriwal has urged the people of New Delhi to deliver their verdict and vote for him if they believe in his innocence. Whether he can revive his political career and return to power remains to be seen.

Edited by: Keith Walker