After Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia was taken on five-day CBI remand on Monday in the Delhi liquor scam case, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) hopes that the cabinet minister, who was the backbone of the government, will get bail once. detention ended.
Sisodia is the second most important minister in Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s seven-member cabinet, months after Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain was detained. He has charge of 18 of the city’s 33 government departments, including key departments such as finance.
If Sisodia is denied bail after five days, will someone be handed over his onerous charge?
A senior party functionary said, “It is too early to decide the next course of action as we are first trying to get him bail. An application is being made for the same. The CBI does not have a strong case against him.” This is being done at the behest of the Centre, as it is a crucial year ahead of the 2024 general elections along with various state elections.
The arrest comes at a time when Delhi’s budget for 2023-24 is about to be presented in the third week of March and Sisodia, who holds the finance portfolio, was preparing for the same.
However, party sources said that since the arrest was widely anticipated and the first summons came on February 19, Kailash Gehlot was present as a prominent member in all budget document meetings apart from Sisodia and the CM. Gehlot has six department heads including transport, law and revenue.
“Gehlot has been attending all important budget meetings as well as other important projects for the last 10 days. Meanwhile, he can be given the charge of the finance department, as only the finance minister can present the budget.
Another party functionary said that if the CM himself does not handle the finance department before the budget, there is a possibility that the revenue minister may be given the charge along with other departments. “All this is just a case scenario. If Sisodia ji gets bail then this question does not arise. But, it will be clear only in next five days.”
While Kejriwal has not held any portfolio in this term, he has been busy with political activities and is bound to travel to poll-bound states throughout the next month, starting with Karnataka on March 4, where he is expected to lead a massive rally. Is.
Party workers, including the top leadership, protested across the city on Monday against the arrests.
The deputy CM was not just the face of the government’s major reforms, he efficiently handled 18 of the 33 city government departments, allowing Kejriwal to focus on the party’s expansion plans in other states. After Jain’s arrest, the party did not appoint a new minister, instead all key portfolios held by Jain, including the Health and Public Works Department (PWD), were handed over to the deputy CM.
At present, Sisodia holds most of the major portfolios including Education, Health, Home, Power, Finance, PWD, Urban Development, Vigilance, Services, Water, Tourism, Land and Building (L&DO), Labour, Industries and Employment. Which has not been allotted to any other minister.
Several major infrastructure projects in the capital, including the Ashram flyover, as well as schemes announced in last year’s employment budget, are yet to be implemented, which could hit everyone if they go to jail.
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