Mr. Sisodia, a three-time MLA and Deputy Chief Minister of the AAP governments shaped in Delhi in 2015, and 2020, is a member of the Political Affairs Committee.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
On February 26, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested Manish Sisodia — Number 2 in each the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Delhi authorities — and he has remained in jail since then.
Mr. Sisodia, a three-time MLA and Deputy Chief Minister of the AAP governments shaped in Delhi in 2015, and 2020, is a member of the Political Affairs Committee (PAC), the very best decision-making physique of the AAP, and, most essential, is a trusted deputy of celebration chief Arvind Kejriwal.
The celebration has strongly stood behind him because the arrest and brought the protest to the streets, tv studios, and likewise the Supreme Court, looking for his launch from what they declare is a politically motivated case by the BJP.
Also learn: Sisodia’s arrest is a ploy to keep him in jail: Kejriwal
The son of a authorities college trainer, Mr. Sisodia was born in Hapur district of Uttar Pradesh on January 5, 1972. After acquiring a postgraduate diploma in journalism from Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, New Delhi, he labored as a radio jockey at FM radio stations. From 1996, he hosted many exhibits for All India Radio and labored for Zee News as information producer and information reader from 1997 to 2005.
While nonetheless working, Mr. Sisodia, together with Mr. Kejriwal, based an NGO, ‘Parivartan’, which labored among the many marginalised sections. In 2005, he give up journalism and the duo based one other organisation, ‘Kabir’, and Mr. Sisodia then labored for the passing of the Right to Information Act. But he got here to the limelight as half of the India Against Corruption motion, led by social activist Anna Hazare, in 2011. Mr. Kejriwal was additionally a outstanding determine within the motion.
The AAP was shaped on November 26, 2012, towards the desires of Mr. Hazare, and Mr. Sisodia was a founding member. In 2013, the celebration got here to energy in Delhi for the primary time, although short-lived — 49 days. Within two months of coming again to energy in Delhi in 2015 with an enormous majority — 67 out of 70 seats — the AAP witnessed an open, ugly spat with co-founders Yogendra Yadav, Prashant Bhushan and others being expelled.
Many predicted that the AAP, born out of a protest, wouldn’t final lengthy as a political organisation, however they have been proved fallacious when the celebration not simply sustained energy in Delhi but additionally expanded past its borders. Mr. Sisodia stood by Mr. Kejriwal and his insurance policies, by no means making a press release towards him.
The Kejriwal mannequin
Over the years, the AAP’s electoral politics crystallised right into a promise of the “Kejriwal model of governance”, peppered with Hindutva and nationalism. The celebration asks for votes within the title of “Kejriwal’s 10 guarantees” (manifesto) and Mr. Sisodia has at all times been overshadowed by Mr. Kejriwal — however he by no means complained or rebelled. For occasion, when the celebration amended its structure in 2021 to take away a time period restriction, permitting Mr. Kejriwal to proceed because the nationwide convener, there was not a phrase of dissent.
On the opposite aspect, Mr. Sisodia emerged because the second strongest man within the celebration. At the time of his arrest he held over 18 portfolios, together with essential departments reminiscent of schooling, well being, finance and public works.
As Mr. Kejriwal fanned out to marketing campaign for the celebration in different States on the promise of the “Kejriwal model”, which is constructed closely on the work accomplished within the discipline of schooling in Delhi by Mr. Sisodia, his trusted lieutenant held the fort in Delhi.
But that equation is now underneath assault.
In May final yr, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested a senior AAP chief and Minister Satyendar Jain and he has since remained in jail. He continued to be a Minister with none portfolio for about 9 months. But when the Supreme Court refused to simply accept a plea by Mr. Sisodia to quash his arrest on February 28, inside an hour, the AAP introduced that each Ministers had resigned from the Cabinet. Till just lately, the celebration’s view was that dropping a Minister could be acceptance of some fallacious doing. But with Mr. Sisodia more likely to stay behind bars for a while, the AAP needed to ship the message that the event work in Delhi isn’t affected.
Two different MLAs have been sworn in as Ministers and the AAP has been in a position to preserve its flock collectively until now. But how a lot will Mr. Sisodia’s absence have an effect on the AAP and Mr. Kejriwal? The coming months will inform us.