Political Turmoil in Delhi as Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain Resign as Ministers
On Tuesday (February 28), Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister, Manish Sisodia, who is presently in five-day CBI custody in connection with the excise policy case, tendered his resignation. In addition, his cabinet colleague Satyendar Jain, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case and has been in jail for less than a year, also resigned.
This happened about an hour after the Supreme Court rejected Sisodia’s petition challenging his arrest in the Delhi excise policy case. Delhi’s Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal, has accepted the resignations of the two ministers.
Manish Sisodia | Satyendar Jain |
Born: 5 January 1972 (age 51 years), Hapur | Born: 3 October 1964 (age 58 years), Baghpat |
Spouse: Seema Sisodia | Party: AamAadmi Party |
Party: AamAadmi Party | Office: Member of Delhi Legislative Assembly since 2013 |
Office: Minister Previous offices: Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi (2015–2023), Member of Delhi Legislative Assembly (2013–2014)
of Education of Delhi since 2013 |
Children: Soumya Jain, Shreya Jain
|
Education: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s College | Full name: Satyendar Kumar Jain |
In his resignation letter, Mr. Sisodia wrote, “I am stepping away till the charges against me are proven false.”
If Sisodia and Jain are sentenced to jail for two years or more, they could lose their seats and be barred from contesting elections for six years.
The CBI arrested Sisodia for alleged corruption in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped liquor policy for 2021-22 in the national capital, while the Enforcement Directorate arrested Satyendar Jain in May last year for his alleged involvement in a money laundering case.
Kailash Gahlot and Raaj Kumar Anand will take over Sisodia’s portfolios, including finance and education.
The resignations came soon after the BJP questioned why the arrested ministers were still in the Delhi government.
After Jain’s arrest in May last year, Sisodia was also given the former’s health portfolio in addition to the ones he was already handling. His arrest comes at a time of presenting the Delhi government budget.
Before the resignations, the Delhi government had six ministers, with Sisodia handling 18 portfolios. Gopal Rai, Kailash Gahlot, Imran Hussain, and Raj Kumar Anand are the other ministers.
Mr. Sisodia, widely seen as Mr. Kejriwal’s number two in the party and the government, had taken charge of most of the ministries, leaving the AAP chief free to focus on the party’s campaign across the country.
The resignations are a significant setback for AAP as it prepares for the 2024 national election. The Chief Minister had reportedly planned to visit states like Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, where elections will be held later this year.
As for Delhi, it will need a Finance Minister to present the budget.