Delhi Chief Minister and Aadmi Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the alleged excise policy scam and is currently in the ED custody. But the presence of his wife Sunita Kejriwal and prominence accorded to her at the INDIA bloc rally in the national capital on March 31 has triggered speculations about the possibility that she could take a political plunge in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. What made her presence at the rally more conspicuous was the message of her husband that she read out in what appeared to be an attempt to strike an emotional chord with the audience at the Ramlila Maidan.
At the rally, Sunita Kejriwal shared the dais with top opposition leaders including Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, MPs Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, Uddhav Thackeray, Sharad Pawar, and Sitaram Yechury. She began her address by posing a poignant question regarding the Prime Minister’s role in her husband’s arrest, asking whether it was justifiable. Portraits of Bhagat Singh and B R Ambedkar alongside the Tricolour in the background of Sunita Kejriwal’s video messages garnered more attention than her speech itself.
Social media buzzed with discussions about Sunita Kejriwal’s speculated political debut. Many posts drew parallels with Rabri Devi, who assumed the role of Bihar Chief Minister in 1997 after her husband Lalu Prasad was jailed in a corruption case. However, it’s worth noting that Sunita Kejriwal holds no official position within the AAP and her occasional appearances haven’t triggered significant political responses. The most noteworthy reactions, however, centred around Sunita Kejriwal delivering speeches from the same seat that her husband typically used to occupy during his addresses.
Is the AAP leader’s wife joining the list of aspirants vying to succeed her husband for the Delhi CM’s post? Her presence at the INDIA bloc rally may be interpreted as a symbolic transfer of power within the AAP leadership. Staunch rivals such as the BJP have questioned her right to occupy the CM seat. However, the AAP has reiterated that Arvind Kejriwal will continue serving as the Chief Minister. Nevertheless, the party has refrained from commenting on speculations regarding Sunita Kejriwal’s possible foray into politics.
Sunita Kejriwal, since the arrest of her husband, has released several video messages, which is being seen as a political strategy of the AAP to give her a broader political space. Recently, she also initiated the ‘Kejriwal ko Aashirwad’ campaign sharing two WhatsApp numbers for his supporters to send their messages of support. The question doing the rounds in political circles is whether Arvind Kejriwal is planning to hand over the reins of power in Delhi to his wife. Is Sunita Kejriwal taking a political plunge to fill the gap in the AAP after the arrest of her husband?
