The announcement made by Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday that he would resign from his top post has sparked speculation about his potential successor, with the names of many senior AAP leaders doing the rounds.
Reports suggest that the possibility of a successor includes incumbent Delhi legislators such as Atishi, Saurabh Bharadwaj, Kailash Gahlot, Gopal Rai and Imran Hussain.
The chance of Arvind Kejriwal’s wife, Sunita Kejriwal, occupying the post cannot be ruled out either. Some leaders have said that a Dalit leader could be appointed as the next Chief Minister, although they did not name any specific individuals.
The AAP convenor himself has ruled out the possibility of his former deputy, Manish Sisodia, taking over and has confirmed that someone from the AAP will fill his position until the elections are held.
The current term of the Delhi Assembly is set to expire on February 11, 2025. The last assembly election in Delhi was held on February 8, 2020. AAP secured 62 seats and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) 8 seats in the 70-member assembly.
Meanwhile, Sisodia has also announced that he will campaign alongside Kejriwal, seeking votes based on honesty and will not assume any official post until he receives a clean chit from the people.
Among the front-runners for the chief ministerial post, Atishi stands out due to her management of multiple key portfolios, including education, finance, revenue and law.
Kejriwal had nominated her to hoist the tricolour on Independence Day in his place. However, this nomination was rejected and the Delhi Lieutenant Governor appointed Gahlot for the task instead.
Arvind Kejriwal took oath as the CM on February 16, the third time since 2013 when he first won the polls. A report in Hindustan Times mentions that officials from the office of the chief electoral officer of Delhi said ECI announced the special summary revision of the photo electoral roll in August, keeping in mind the tentative schedule of February 2025 for the state polls.
The ongoing exercise is scheduled to conclude in early January 2025, and the final publication of electoral rolls is planned for January 6, 2025.