 "AAP MP Sanjay Singh, who was behind bars since Oct. 2023 in the liquor policy case, addresses after he came out of the Tihar Jail following a Supreme Court order granting him bail, in New Delhi, Wednesday, 3 April 2024. PTI")
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjay Singh on Wednesday walked out of Tihar jail a day after he was granted bail by the Supreme Court in Delhi liquor policy case.
He was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on 4 October 2023 after a 10-hour search at his residence in North Avenue, New Delhi.
“This is the time to struggle. The biggest leaders of our party – Arvind Kejriwal , Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain – have been kept behind the bars. I am confident that one day the locks of this prison will be broken and they will come out. This is why I want to say that this is not the time to celebrate, this is the time to struggle,” Singh said after his release, as massive crow of AAP supporters gathered outside the jail.
Known as a formidable strategist and orator, Singh’s release has changed the tone of the impending Lok Sabha elections.
Here’s a look at why Singh’s release is important for AAP.
A boost to the party’s morale
Sanjay Singh’s release will boost the party’s morale.
Even though CM Kejriwal, his former deputy Manish Sisodia, and former minister Satyendar Jain are still in jail, the AAP has hailed his release as a “moment of happiness and hope.”
A senior AAP functionary told The Times of India, “His release could not have come at a better time. We really needed a top leader now who can lift the party’s morale and give the right direction to our campaign.”
Raghav Chadha wrote on X in Hindi, “Today is a very emotional day for every ordinary party worker. The happiness of the release of our lion, Sanjay Singh, cannot be expressed in words, Jai Bajrangbali.”
Singh visited Kejriwal’s wife Sunita right away at his residence, in an apparent political statement.
In his speech at the AAP office later, the Rajya Sabha MP asked the people of the country to be wary of “dictators” who would bring tears to their eyes and said that the AAP leaders were sent to the jail because they wanted to provide good education, health facilities, free bus ride, and Rs 1,000 to women in Delhi.
In an attempt to restore confidence in AAP worker, Singh declared that the party will work harder and that voters will respond to Kejriwal’s “imprisonment” by casting their votes in the Lok Sabha elections.
Also read: How Arvind Kejriwal, undertrial 670, plans to run Delhi government from Tihar prison
His exceptional skills
With his keen political sense and exceptional organisational skills, Singh has been instrumental in the party’s growth throughout the years. These abilities would be useful for “planning and rolling out AAP’s campaign in four states where it is contesting 22 seats,” the official told the newspaper.
Singh is a founder member of the AAP and has been close to Kejriwal from his activism days. He participated in the India Against Corruption campaign.
He played a key role in AAP’s resounding victory in the 2015 Delhi Assembly elections and oversaw Punjab when the party ran its first election in the state.
Singh is renowned for his creativity, which has helped the AAP gain more popularity by coming up with catchy taglines and giving election campaigns an emotional touch.
He is a great orator as well. His strong yet emotional speeches could get a lot of support from the general population in Kejriwal’s absence.
Also read: 3 reasons why Sanjay Singh’s bail may help Manish Sisodia in Delhi Excise Policy Case
A breather for Bhagwant Mann
Bhagwant Mann, who has been manning the fort since Arvind Kejriwal’s detention, would probably feel less pressure now that Singh is free, as per India Today.
He often jumped between Punjab and Delhi for important meetings in his capacity as Punjab’s chief minister and AAP leader.
Returning to Delhi, Sanjay Singh may maintain control and be a key player in the run-up to the elections.
Influence on poll campaign
While granting Singh bail on Tuesday, the apex court questioned why he had been imprisoned for over six months without a trial or any evidence of the alleged bribe that an accused-turned-approver had given him.
The bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna, Dipankar Datta, and Prasanna B Varale permitted Singh to engage in political activities although stating that the ruling could not be regarded as precedent, as per NDTV.
This might be a significant factor for the AAP, whose campaign could gain momentum with less than three weeks left until the general elections.
For those uninitiated, the AAP has been claiming that the alleged Delhi liquor policy case is nothing more than a fabrication orchestrated by the probe agencies acting at the behest of the ruling BJP at the Centre to bring down Kejriwal and his government in Delhi.
In addition to AAP, the Centre has been singled out by the Congress as well as other opposition parties within the INDIA alliance.
During one of his electoral rallies, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of “match-fixing” the forthcoming elections, as per India TV.
In response to the arrest of Delhi CM, Rahul Gandhi stated that Kejriwal and former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, had been jailed “to ensure that the opposition is unable to contest the Lok Sabha polls on an equal footing.”
With inputs from agencies