Delhi Political Shake-Up: Kejriwal's Expected Resignation Sparks Succession Battle

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal is expected to resign on Tuesday. AAP MLAs will meet to decide his successor. Kejriwal, recently released on bail, seeks early polls and vows not to return as CM without public validation. Potential successors include party insiders and a surprise minority community candidate.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is expected to resign later today. A crucial meeting of AAP MLAs will convene at 11:30 am at his residence to select his successor.

Kejriwal is scheduled to meet Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena at 4:30 pm to tender his resignation. Following his release from Tihar jail on bail, Kejriwal announced he would resign within 48 hours and called for early elections in Delhi.

In a series of meetings on Monday, Kejriwal consulted with senior AAP leaders about potential successors. Names like Atishi, Gopal Rai, Kailash Gahlot, and Saurabh Bharadwaj have emerged as contenders, though insiders suggest the candidate could also be from the minority community. Meanwhile, the BJP has criticized Kejriwal's resignation as a 'compulsion' and 'drama', driven by internal party conflicts.

(With inputs from agencies.)