Arvind Kejriwal’s bail again sparks talk of Punjab Cabinet rejig

Chandigarh, June 20

The bail granted to AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal tonight lifted the spirits of many leaders in the state unit here. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann hailed the grant of bail to the Delhi CM, saying it was the victory of truth.

All Cabinet Ministers and many hopefuls for Cabinet berths, hailed the Supreme Court’s verdict, saying justice had been delivered.

Kejriwal’s release from jail will mean that he is again in direct control of the party affairs, especially in Punjab, where the resentment has been brewing since the Lok Sabha results were declared earlier this month.

Many “disgruntled” ministers and MLAs were making a beeline for Delhi and conveying their views to Sunita Kejriwal and other senior leaders of the party. There are reports that some ministers and MLAs were meeting the Delhi leadership in the national capital daily.

Though there had been talk of a Cabinet reshuffle, the party high command was not willing to go ahead with it while the party supremo was in the jail. Sources in the party say that with two vacant berths and another falling vacant now after the election of Sports Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer as MP from Sangrur, the rejig in the Cabinet is likely to be effected now.

Since the party’s own post-election assessment is that the Dalit and Hindu voters did not repose their faith in the party, with the Dalits shifting loyalty to the Congress and the Hindus choosing the BJP, the party is expected to empower a Dalit leader as well as a Hindu leader, with an aim to striking a religious balance.