New Delhi: Delhi's ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislators convened on Tuesday to meet with Sunita Kejriwal, the wife of jailed Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, affirming their backing for his continued leadership as Delhi's top elected official and his ability to govern from Tihar Jail, according to sources familiar with the situation.

During the meeting, AAP members of the legislative assembly (MLAs) reassured Sunita Kejriwal that the people of Delhi, numbering 20 million, stand firmly behind Arvind Kejriwal. They emphasized that he should not consider resigning under any circumstances and should continue to administer the Delhi government from jail. The meeting was attended by 55 lawmakers, with Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, and Satyendra Jain currently incarcerated, and four others absent from Delhi.

With 62 lawmakers in the 70-member assembly, AAP holds a majority, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) controls the remaining eight seats. An AAP legislator stated that the meeting with Sunita Kejriwal aimed to discuss the prevailing political situation, including alleged attempts by the BJP to lure AAP members and plans for further arrests of AAP leaders.

This meeting followed Sunita Kejriwal's inaugural public address on Sunday, where she spoke at a gathering of the Opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan. She described her husband as a resilient figure and assured that he would not remain incarcerated for long.

Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva commented on the internal dynamics within AAP, alleging a lack of trust among its members. He suggested that Sunita Kejriwal's emergence in the party leadership was indicative of Arvind Kejriwal's alleged involvement in corruption cases and diminishing prospects of release from jail. Arvind Kejriwal was remanded in judicial custody until April 15 by special judge Kaveri Baweja in connection with the excise policy case. He is the fourth prominent AAP leader to face arrest.

AAP has consistently labeled the investigations into the excise case as politically motivated attempts by the BJP to undermine the party. AAP legislator Rituraj Jha also claimed in the Delhi assembly that BJP leaders offered him a Cabinet position and financial incentives to switch parties, along with alleged inducements for 10 additional lawmakers.

AAP's meeting with Sunita Kejriwal came amidst allegations by AAP minister Atishi that the BJP was planning to arrest her and three other AAP leaders—Saurabh Bharadwaj, Raghav Chadha, and Durgesh Pathak—in connection with irregularities related to the 2021-22 excise policy. However, Sachdeva dismissed these claims as unfounded and reiterated accusations of AAP's involvement in the excise scam.

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