Arvind Kejriwal out on bail, ex-Delhi minister sends ‘fresh’ resignation letter to CM

Ex-Delhi minister Raaj Kumar Anand, who resigned last month from the AAP citing “corruption” in the Arvind Kejriwal-led party, has sent a “fresh” letter to the Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party national convenor to accept his resignation.

“Earlier, I was told that the CM is in jail, and so he cannot sign any file. Now I have written to him again, and my team member visited his residence to submit the letter. They got the letter but did not say anything. The fresh one was sent on Sunday,” Anand told The Indian Express.

“I met the Lieutenant Governor and raised the matter. It has been four days since the CM was released. My resignation, however, is yet to be accepted,” the Capital’s former social welfare minister, said.

A senior official from the Social Welfare Department, meanwhile, stated that the SC/ST department is functioning “smoothly,” though the official conceded that files are “stuck” as Anand’s successor is still to be appointed.

Earlier this month, Anand joined the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and will contest the ongoing Lok Sabha elections from the New Delhi parliamentary constituency. All seven seats in Delhi will vote on May 25 in the penultimate leg of the seven-phase polls.

On March 21, the central Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Kejriwal in the alleged excise policy scam. On May 10, the Supreme Court granted him interim and conditional bail, allowing him to campaign for the Lok Sabha polls. The AAP chief has been asked to surrender on June 2, a day after the general elections conclude, and two days before the results are to be declared.

During his interim bail, Kejriwal cannot sign files, visit the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) or the Secretariat, a two-judge Supreme Court bench said.