Arvind Kejriwal is an Indian politician and the national convener of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). He is also the former Chief Minister of Delhi. Before venturing into politics, Kejriwal was a civil servant, having graduated from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur with a degree in mechanical engineering. He later joined the Indian Revenue Service (IRS) as a Joint Commissioner of Income Tax.
Arvind Kejriwal rose to prominence as an anti-corruption activist during the India Against Corruption movement, which gained widespread support in the early 2010s. In 2012, he founded the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to bring transparency and combat corruption in politics. Kejriwal became the youngest Chief Minister of Delhi in 2013, leading a coalition government with the Congress, but his tenure lasted only 49 days due to his resignation over the failure to pass the Jan Lokpal Bill. He was re-elected as Chief Minister in 2015, securing a historic mandate for AAP with a landslide victory.
In 2024, Kejriwal resigned as Chief Minister following his involvement in the 2022 excise policy scam. Allegations surfaced that changes made to Delhi’s excise policy benefited liquor suppliers, leading to investigations by central agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Kejriwal denied the allegations, and after being granted bail in the case, he announced his intention to seek a “certificate” from the people in the upcoming elections. His leadership of AAP and the “Brand Kejriwal” face a major test in the 2025 Delhi assembly elections.
Kejriwal’s tenure was also marked by frequent clashes with Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor, with tensions often escalating over administrative control and decision-making, particularly in areas that fell under central government jurisdiction.
A decade of socialist ruin of Delhi perpertrated by kejriwal will need heavy machinery to undo the damage.