Kejriwal resigns as Delhi CM

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has announced to resign after the Jan Lokpal Bill was not allowed to be tabled in the state Assembly on Friday. After announcing his decision to resign, kejriwal, a self-proclaimed anarchist, has demanded immediate re-election in Delhi. Kejriwal has sent his resignation to Delhi Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung, whom an AAP spokesperson on Thursday termed a Congress agent. “Arvind Kejriwal sent his resignation to LG,” AAP tweeted this evening. During the voting for introducing the bill, 42 MLAs voted against it while only 27 were for it. Addressing the house, after the introduction of the bill was stalled, Kejriwal said it was more important to fight against corruption than to run a government. “Whether our government remains in power or not is not important,” he had said, trying to make himself heard above the din caused by sloganeering by Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party legislators. “We have come here to save the country. If we have to give up the chief minister’s post for the sake of the country, we will do it not a hundred times but a thousand times,” he had said. On a day of dramatic developments in the Assembly lasting over four hours, the 45-year-old Chief Minister, who has had a roller coaster ride ever since he took over reins of power on December 28, last year, accused the Congress and BJP of “colluding” with each other against the Bill. Uproarious scenes were earlier witnessed in the House on the issue of introduction of the Bill with BJP and Congress forcing the Speaker to read out the Lt Governor Najeeb Jung’s advice to the Assembly against tabling the bill since it was not in accordance with procedures laid down under the law. After an adjournment with opposition notably BJP leader Harshavardhan and Congress leader Arvinder Singh Lovely demanding voting on the Lt Governor’s advice and government opposing it, Kejriwal dramatically rose to table the Jan Lokpal Bill. This attacking provoked the opposition which contended that the government had no right to introduce a Bill against Lt Governor’s advice and such step would be “unconstitutional”. Meanwhile, hundreds of Aam Aadmi Party supporters cheered as they watched a live telecast of Kejriwal telling the Delhi assembly, “This seems to be our last session.” Shortly afterwards, he wrote his resignation letter and held a ceremonial cabinet meeting. Kejriwal was chief minister for 49 days. He suffered a major embarrassment after his move to table the anti-corruption Jan Lokpal Bill was struck down. He had said earlier that he would resign if the bill was blocked. The Aam Aadmi Party reportedly started sending a mass SMS asking its volunteers to gather at its office in Hanuman Road, not far from the Chief Minister’s home, moments after the Jan Lokpal Bill was declared “not tabled”. Within an hour, a large crowd had assembled there; people are still pouring in. Many supporters at the AAP office, which is a sea of regulation Aam Aadmi Party caps, said Kejriwal should resign and fight the national election, due by May. “He will win the Lok Sabha election and come back as Prime Minister,” said a supporter to NDTV. AAP has already said it will contest a massive over 350 seats in the polls. This afternoon, Kejriwal had tried to table the Jan Lokpal Bill despite Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung’s warning that the bill does not have his consent. The Congress, which provides external support to the AAP government, and the opposition BJP joined forces in demanding a vote on the letter. They said any move to introduce the bill would be unconstitutional. Speaker Dhir then called for a vote, in which the tabling of the bill was rejected. Meanwhile, the Lieutenant Governor has in his statement said that the idea of the Jan Lokpal Bill is right but the due procedure has to be followed. The Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) termed Kejriwal’s resignation a “drama”. “As far as Kejriwal’s resignation is concerned, it is a scripted drama,” said Delhi Congress chief Arvinder Singh Lovely. “Congress was always for Jan Lokpal.” “Kejriwal and his ministers were never serious about governance,” added Congress leader Ajay Maken. The BJP labelled the episode as “scripted” and said Kejriwal has “miserably failed”. “Kejriwal has not delivered anything and has miserably failed. He had no other choice (but to quit). He has only made tall claims,” BJP leader Harsh Vardhan said. “I am prepared for an election even if it happens next week,” he added. The BJP too said they were not opposed to the Jan Lokpal bill. The Congress and the BJP maintained the AAP government was not following constitutional procedures to get the bill passed in the assembly. BJP, the largest party in the assembly, meanwhile said it would not stake claim to form the government as it did not have requisite number. – bdnews24.com