With less than two weeks remaining before India’s election commences, Arvind Kejriwal, a prominent opposition leader, finds himself detained in a 14ft by 8ft cell within Delhi’s Tihar jail. Typically expected to be on the campaign trail, Kejriwal is reportedly spending his days engaged in activities such as sweeping, reading, and practicing yoga, all while continuing to govern Delhi’s government from behind bars.
Kejriwal is not alone in his confinement. Alongside him are other leaders from his opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), including his former deputy chief minister, Manish Sisodia, who has been incarcerated for over a year, and former health minister Satyendar Jain, detained since May 2022. Recently, another AAP minister, Sanjay Singh, was granted bail by the supreme court after spending six months behind bars.
AAP has denounced the arrests, labeling them as a political conspiracy orchestrated by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government to suppress the party ahead of the election. Voting is scheduled to commence on April 19, with the BJP and AAP contesting for seats, including those in Delhi.
Atishi Singh, an AAP minister, remarked, “The BJP hoped that AAP will disintegrate after Arvind Kejriwal is arrested because the entire senior leadership is behind bars.”
Analysts and opponents have voiced concerns over the recent escalation in the crackdown on the opposition, warning that this election could be the most one-sided in India’s history. Despite predictions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi winning a third term easily, with the BJP aiming for a greater majority than in 2019, the heightened use of governmental instruments against the opposition has raised alarms.
Dwaipayan Bhattacharyya, a professor of political science at Jawaharlal Nehru University, remarked, “The BJP has the upper hand, no doubt about it. It is leaving no stone unturned in using all the instruments, which are now under its control, to go after the opposition.”
