Upon walking out on interim bail from Tihar Jail last Friday, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is gearing up for a high-powered campaign for the upcoming Delhi, Haryana, and Punjab elections, despite not being able to campaign in the previous three phases. The burning question now is, over the next 13 to 15 days, where will Kejriwal campaign and what will be his strategy?
Kejriwal Missed Campaigning in First Three Phases
Initially, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) contested in 2 seats in Assam during the first phase, which Kejriwal couldn't campaign for. Additionally, AAP was in the fray for 2 seats in Gujarat during the third phase without his presence. With 12-13 days left for campaigning in Delhi, where AAP is running in 4 seats, Kejriwal’s involvement could turn the tide in their favor.
Total 22 Lok Sabha Seats Contested by AAP
There's an identical timeframe allocated for campaigning in Kurukshetra, Haryana, where AAP is also contesting. Similarly, the campaign in Punjab, expected to benefit from Kejriwal's prowess, remains. AAP is currently in the race for a total of 22 Lok Sabha seats, with four already gone to polls without Kejriwal's campaigning magic.
Kejriwal Will Campaign in 18 Seats
Following Supreme Court-granted bail, Kejriwal can now campaign in 18 seats. Sanjay Singh is leading the charge not just for AAP but also for ally candidates in Uttar Pradesh, led by Akhilesh Yadav, and in Maharashtra for Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar of the Congress-NCP coalition. Kejriwal's decision to extend his campaign reach to other states for the India Alliance remains to be seen.
Mapping Kejriwal's Campaign Trail Post-Bail
Kejriwal, equipped with bail till June 1, faces the daunting task of planning his campaign across several locations. While he couldn't lend his voice in Assam and Gujarat, all eyes are now on the critical Delhi polls scheduled for May 25th.
12 Days Left for Kejriwal's Delhi Campaign Pre-Vote
Twelve days are all Kejriwal has for campaigning in Delhi. Here, AAP is battling it out in four seats, while Congress is competing in three as part of an alliance; hence, Kejriwal has the opportunity to influence outcomes in seven seats. Moreover, he can now visit Haryana’s Kurukshetra, where AAP has a horse in the race, and he can mark his presence across all of Punjab's 13 constituencies. Despite AAP running in 22 seats, Kejriwal has his campaigning window open for 18 of them.
Source: aajtak
Where There’s Power, There’s Potential For Kejriwal
In regions like Delhi and Punjab where AAP's government reigns, Kejriwal has the perfect stage to campaign vigorously. Whether or not election results sway in Kejriwal's direction, there won’t be room for claims of not being given the chance to campaign. Now, the question lingers on how Kejriwal's release on bail will impact the political landscape.
