Kejri bombshell: Will resign as CM after 2 days

PTI, New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday announced that he would resign after two days and sought early polls in the national capital while vowing not to sit in CM's chair till people give him a "certificate of honesty". The BJP hit back at the AAP supremo, terming his move a "PR exercise" and a "drama". Kejriwal, released on bail from Tihar on Friday in the excise policy graft case, said he would hold a meeting of AAP MLAs in the next couple of days and a party leader would take over as chief minister. The AAP national convener, who reached the party headquarters here on Sunday along with his wife Sunita to address party workers, said he would become chief minister and Manish Sisodia deputy CM "only when people say we are honest". Sisodia got bail in the excise policy case last month. "I am going to resign after two days and ask people whether I am honest. Till they respond, I won't sit on CM's chair," Kejriwal said.

"Delhi elections are due in February but I demand that the elections in the national capital be held in November along with Maharashtra... I will only sit on CM's chair after people give me a certificate of honesty. Want to give 'agnipariksha' (trial by fire) after coming out of jail." Alleging the BJP tried to prove him corrupt, Kejriwal claimed the saffron party could not provide good schools and free electricity to people because they were corrupt. "We are honest," he asserted. "They slap false cases against non-BJP chief ministers. If the CMs are arrested, I urge them not to resign but run their government from jail," the Delhi chief minister said.

"I didn't resign (after arrest in excise policy case) because I respect democracy and the Constitution is supreme for me," Kejriwal said and asserted that it is only the AAP that can stand up to the BJP's "conspiracies". Slamming Kejriwal over his resignation announcement, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said, "The AAP national convenor's announcement is a part of his plan to make his wife Sunita Kejriwal chief minister... Arvind Kejriwal has done a PhD on how to make a virtue out of necessity."

Next CM? Sunita Kejriwal, Atishi among candidates

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's unexpected announcement to resign after two days kicked up a strong buzz over the names of his wife Sunita and his ministers Atishi and Gopal Rai as his possible replacement. Kejriwa ruled out the second biggest leader of the AAP Manish Sisodia as his replacement, saying he will also not hold the post unless given clean chit by the people of Delhi.

Sources said the CM's wife Sunita Kejriwal could be a potential candidate. However, another senior AAP leader claimed that an MLA of the party will become the new chief minister. The potential candidates include ministers Kailash Gahlot and Saurabh Bharadwaj.