Why Arvind Kejriwal is not naming his number two

New Delhi: There is ample clarity in the Aam Aadmi Party that Delhi Chief Minister and its convener Arvind Kejriwal is its undisputed leader. However, ever since the arrest and sacking of his deputy Manish Sisodia, the position of number two in the party has been lying vacant.

The elevation of the senior leaders is needed as party sources feel that the heat of ongoing investigations against various AAP former ministers’ in Delhi and Punjab could also lead to Kejriwal.

“There is a fear that the Central agencies may target the Delhi Chief Minister in one or more of these cases. Hence, the need for securing the position of a number two in the party ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls,” sources pointed out.

Ever since the elevation of AAP from a regional political outfit to a national one a few weeks ago, the party has been feeling a need for a strong leader to back Kejriwal. However, the party has so far not decided on the crucial issue and as the 2024 Lok Sabha polls approach there is a silent unease over the issue.

It was felt that the AAP is at a crucial juncture and any faltering on its part by not addressing the leadership issue could end up hurting the party irreparably, sources said.

And this lack of clarity over the position is creating a rift amongst the top leadership of the party. Sources stated that it has led to a silent battle for the number two position in AAP. Many top leaders of AAP are now vying with each other to emerge as Kejriwal's favourite to lay claim to the position.

With Sisodia out of the picture and another senior minister Satyendar Jain also out of the way, the battle for the second position in the party has heated up. Several senior leaders including Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Delhi Minister Atishi Singh Marlena, Rajya Sabha members Sanjay Singh and Raghav Chadha are trying to emerge as the number two in the party.

In a major development, the AAP had elevated Atishi to a crucial position, entrusting her with key Finance and Revenue Department responsibilities. However, her inexperience at the national level has largely confined her role of national capital. She is only expected to take care of governance issues in the Delhi government as Kejriwal travels across the nation as the crucial Assembly polls in five states and general elections approach.

With a full-fledged state under the party’s rule, Punjab CM Mann has emerged as a strong contender for the number two slot. Mann has been able to cement his position in the party as Kejriwal has been seemingly leaning on him while moving across the country to unite the opposition ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

After the arrests of former Deputy CM Manish Sisodia and Health Minister Satyender Jain by various investigative agencies, there have been silent murmurs in the party to elevate some of the second-rung leaders. The two were considered to be the most powerful in AAP after Kejriwal and with their unavailability the party is finding it difficult to find appropriate replacements, sources pointed out.

A section of the AAP leadership also feels that Kejriwal needs to remove this ambiguity at the earliest so that the party can achieve its true calling at the national level.

With less than a year to go before the Lok Sabha polls, AAP cannot afford this leadership crisis for a long time. Any faltering now can put brakes on further growth of the party which has been projecting itself as a political alternative at the national stage.