Kejriwal wins trust vote, gets 54 MLAs' support
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal won the trust vote in the Delhi Assembly on Saturday. Following his victory, he challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to rally support for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Kejriwal stated that even if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wins this year's Lok Sabha elections, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will "liberate" the country from BJP in 2029. The motion of confidence was passed by voice vote, with 54 of the AAP's 62 MLAs present.
Why does this story matter?
Kejriwal filed a no-trust motion on Friday alleging that the BJP was attempting to poach AAP MLAs and destabilize his government. The AAP supremo alleged that the BJP promised Rs. 25 crore each to seven AAP MLAs in an attempt to overthrow his administration. The motion was submitted a day before Kejriwal was scheduled to appear in court in connection with the multiple summons issued by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which AAP described as the BJP's "mouthpiece."
Kejriwal accuses BJP of obstructing government work
In his victory speech, Kejriwal also accused the BJP of hindering his government's work by controlling the services department and bureaucracy. "They claim to be Ram Bhakt, but they stopped medicines for poor people in our hospitals. Did Lord Ram ask for stopping medicines for poor people?" Kejriwal asked. He recalled past attacks, including being slapped and having ink thrown at him, and now they want to arrest him.
AAP is the biggest challenger to BJP: Kejriwal
Kejriwal also emphasized that the AAP is the primary challenger to the BJP in the entire nation. "Everyone has begun asking the question why such relentless attacks are being done against the AAP. This is because if there is any challenger to the BJP in the whole country, it is the AAP," he said. Kejriwal noted that AAP, founded just 12 years ago, has become India's third-largest party within a decade.
Third motion of confidence in 3 years
The motion of confidence on Saturday marks the third for Kejriwal's government in three years. The previous confidence motions occurred in August 2022 and March 2023. The AAP has an overwhelming majority in the 70-member Delhi Assembly. It has 62 MLAs, and the BJP has eight MLAs, of whom seven are currently suspended. Leader of opposition Ramvir Singh Bidhuri is the only BJP MLA who has not been suspended.
Kejriwal appears before Delhi court via videoconference
Before the trust vote, Kejriwal appeared before the Rouse Avenue Court via video conference for skipping five summonses by the ED in the Delhi liquor policy case. Kejriwal told the court that he couldn't appear in person due to the discussion on the confidence motion scheduled in the Delhi Assembly. The court fixed March 16 for the physical appearance of Kejriwal.