What's the writing on the wall?

After resignation as Delhi CM, Arvind Kejriwal's party colleagues say he will campaign to reclaim his image as an anti-corruption crusader, and give his successor time to roll out welfare schemes. ARCHIS MOHAN decodes

- ARCHIS MOHAN

During the 154 days that Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal spent in jail this year on charges of corruption, he was defiant about not quitting as chief minister of Delhi.

But on Sunday, less than two days after he had walked out of Tihar jail, Kejriwal announced he would quit his constitutional post, and seek vindication of his innocence in the people's court.

As the term of the Delhi Assembly is set to end on February 23, the Assembly polls in Delhi are less than five months away. Kejriwal asked the Centre to conduct the Assembly elections in Delhi alongside those in Maharashtra, which are scheduled for November. He said that neither his former deputy, Manish Sisodia, who in August walked out of jail after 17 months of incarceration, nor he would be the chief minister until the Assembly polls.

AAP's legislative party would elect a new leader later this week, the party said.

As explanations for Kejriwal's surprise decision, sources in AAP pointed to the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP's) recent demand asking the Centre to sack the Delhi government and impose President's Rule (under Article 339AB of the Constitution. But it stemmed mostly from apprehensions, particularly after Kejriwal consulted his lawyers, that if he were to continue as the CM, the probe agencies could file a corruption case related to allegations of corruption in the construction of the chief minister's bungalow.