Released Indian opposition leader Kejriwal to resign as Delhi chief minister

Kejriwal was granted bail on Friday by India’s Supreme Court and left prison in the evening almost six months after being detained in relation to alleged irregularities in the capital city’s liquor policy.

Kejriwal is a fierce critic of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a former anti-corruption crusader whose decade-old Aam Aadmi Party quickly rose to mainstream politics, although its clout is relatively small compared to older opposition parties.

A had expected that Kejriwal’s release from prison would allow him to campaign as a chief minister in regional elections next month in the northern state of Haryana, and in Delhi early next year.

Kejriwal, announcing his resignation as chief minister at a meeting with A workers, said he would only return to the post if people certify his honesty by voting for him in the upcoming Delhi election. He called on the Election Commission to bring forward the Delhi election to November, from February 2025.

“I demand elections be held in November with Maharashtra elections, I demand the elections be held immediately,” Kejriwal said. 

He was first taken into custody in March by India’s financial crime-fighting agency, weeks before the country’s national elections, in relation to Delhi’s liquor policy.

Although he was granted bail in that case in July, he remained in detention due to his arrest the previous month by the federal police in another graft case related to the same policy.

Kejriwal, 55, and A deny the allegations and say the cases are “politically motivated”.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.