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NEW DELHI — The AAP's National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal resigned as the Chief Minister of Delhi on Tuesday, just hours after selecting Atishi as his successor for the post.
Accompanied by other AAP leaders, including Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj, Kejriwal arrived at the Delhi LG's residence around 4:30 P.M. and submitted his resignation to LG Saxena.
With Kejriwal stepping down, the AAP will now stake a claim for government formation under Atishi's leadership.
This resignation comes amid the upheaval faced by the party during Kejriwal's third tenure, particularly with the Delhi excise policy case, where several top leaders, including Kejriwal himself, were accused of accepting money from liquor companies to pass favourable policies.
Former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia was arrested, followed by Kejriwal's own arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in March, marking the first time a sitting Chief Minister was sent to jail. Kejriwal was released on bail after six months.
Kejriwal had walked out of Tihar Jail on Friday, hours after the Supreme Court granted him conditional bail in the Delhi liquor policy case.
He had announced his resignation a day after his release, addressing a public gathering where he stated his intention to seek early elections in November.
During his speech, he called upon the people to judge his honesty and vowed not to sit on the CM's chair until the public's verdict was delivered.
"I am ready for Agni Pariksha", said Kejriwal, adding, "Two days later, I will resign as Chief Minister. I will not sit on that chair till the people announce their verdict. Elections in Delhi are months away."
In a direct attack on the Modi government after his release, Kejriwal called it "more dictatorial than the British" and urged other non-BJP Chief Ministers not to resign if they were falsely imprisoned, emphasising that it is possible to run a government from jail if united.