Can Kejriwal’s arrest cause harm to BJP in Lok Sabha elections?

CM Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 21 in the Delhi Excise Policy Scam case. Kejriwal also withdrew the petition filed in the Supreme Court against his arrest. At the same time, Rouse Avenue Court has sent him to ED custody till March 28. Meanwhile, questions are being raised regarding the timing of Kejriwal’s arrest. Within 5 days of the bugle sounding of Lok Sabha Elections (2024), INDIA Alliance is presenting the arrest of key leader of INDIA Alliance Arvind Kejriwal as the main election issue. If INDIA Alliance capitalizes on Kejriwal’s arrest in the elections, BJP may lose seats in North India. BJP has already reached saturation point in North India. In such a situation, BJP may face difficulty in achieving the target of 370 seats.

Will help in aggressive campaigning against Modi government
The arrest of Arvind Kejriwal in the liquor policy case has given the opposition an opportunity to be aggressive against the Modi government. INDIA alliance can go among the public in different states on the issue of arrest of Arvind Kejriwal during election campaigning and open a front against the Modi government. Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party has formed an alliance with Congress in Delhi, Haryana, Gujarat, Goa and Chandigarh. These days, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi is raising the issue of Kejriwal’s arrest in his meetings.

Use of emotional card in elections
Well, the emotional card plays a lot in politics. The election mandate given to Congress after the assassination of Indira Gandhi is a direct example of this. There are many such examples in foreign countries also where emotional cards played a big role in elections. Obviously, Aam Aadmi Party and INDIA Alliance will try to capitalize on Kejriwal’s arrest by playing the emotional card in this election. It is clearly visible from the recent statements of many Aam Aadmi Party leaders that they are trying to create an atmosphere among the public regarding Kejriwal. AAP leaders are going among the public and telling that Kejriwal has been arrested so that free education, free electricity, free water, free pilgrimage and mohalla clinics are closed in Delhi.

The narrative will be set on BJP to eliminate the opposition
With the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal, AAP and INDIA Alliance will try to set a narrative among the public that how BJP is trying to eliminate the opposition. Actually, a sitting CM Arvind Kejriwal has been arrested. Kejriwal has claimed on many public occasions that he runs the government with scrupulous honesty. In such a situation, if the leaders of INDIA Alliance succeed in telling that the arrest of Kejriwal or the opposition leaders is being done as part of a political conspiracy, then it can be beneficial in the elections.

Narrative of ED-CBI working at the behest of Modi government
The opposition has been making the ED-CBI raid an issue. By making Kejriwal’s arrest an election issue, a narrative will be created among the people that investigating agencies like ED-CBI work at the behest of the Central Government. INDIA Alliance can give the example of ED raids against the then CM Bhupesh Baghel and arrest of Hemant Soren during Chhattisgarh elections. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has also said that ED and CBI cases have been registered against 95% of the opposition leaders, but those leaders who join BJP, their stains are washed clean. Regarding Kejriwal’s arrest, many opposition leaders argued that there is a case against Assam Chief Minister Hemanta Biswa Sarma, but ED-CBI will take no action against him. Similarly, many cases are registered against Ajit Pawar, since he is in alliance with BJP in Maharashtra and is also the Deputy CM, hence all his stains have been washed away.

There may be advantage on Delhi seats
Arvind Kejriwal has not yet resigned from the post of CM. It is being told that he is running the government of Delhi while being in the custody of ED. However, Kejriwal has a different appeal among the people of Delhi. It is said that Delhiites want AAP in Delhi and BJP in Lok Sabha. In such a situation, the arrest of the sitting CM may have an impact on 7 Lok Sabha seats of Delhi.