This Week in Explainers: Can Arvind Kejriwal fulfil his CM duties now that he is out on bail?

In peak election season, the headline-grabbers of the week are not the Bharatiya Janata Party leaders but those of rival parties – Congress’ Sam Pitroda and Aam Aadmi Party’s Arvind Kejriwal.

After 51 days in jail in the Delhi excise policy case, the chief minister got interim bail until 1 June. What will he do during this time out? And what does this mean for the Aam Aam Party as it prepares for polls? We explain it all.

The big controversy of the week was triggered by Sam Pitroda (once again). After the recent brouhaha over inheritance tax, he now went on to make some racist comments and created more trouble for Congress. This time there was no forgiving him. The veteran Congressman and the party’s overseas unit chief stepped down from the post. Good riddance?

More from Explainers

What happened during Trump's call with Zelenskyy and European leaders? Trump-Putin summit: Why Russia sold Alaska to the US in 1867

One big concern this election has been the lower voter turnout. It has left stock markets jittery but is it a reason to worry? And what is keeping the Indian electorate away from the polling booth?

All this and more, in our weekly roundup of explainers, where we go beyond the headlines.

1. Let us beging with Arvind Kejriwal. He is now out of jail and that comes as a big relief to the party this election season. But he remains an accused in the Delhi excise policy case and his few days of freedom come with conditions. Can he fulfil his chief minister’s duties? And will he be able to vote when Delhi casts the ballot on 25 May? We explain.

Impact Shorts

View All

'My god, what have we done': The 2 US pilots who dropped atomic bombs on Japan's Hiroshima and Nagasaki

US is making it tougher to obtain green card for married couples. Here’s why

2. Now that he is out of jail, the Delhi CM is set to hit the campaign trail soon. Kejriwal has less than 15 days for canvassing. Is it too little too late? What does his interim bail mean for the AAP and the INDIA block? We analyse.

3. It’s an irony but many of our politicians are politically incorrect. Leading the pack is Sam Pitroda, a veteran leader who has served Congress for decades. Earlier, this week, he resigned from his post as overseas unit chief after his racist comments left his party firefighting amid a hectic election season. In this piece, we look at the rise and fall of Pitroda, a close aide of the Gandhis.

4. Three phases of the election are over and something that keeps cropping up is the low voter turnout. As compared to 2019, there has been a dip in the number of those casting their ballot. But what’s keeping people indoors? Many factors are at play – the heatwave in some parts of India, urban apathy and more. And while it has spooked stock markets, poor poll participation is not a new story. We explain.

5. Is the share of India’s Hindu population on the decline? Is that of the Muslims rising? The debate has erupted once again after an analysis by the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (PM-EAC) released earlier in the week revealed that the share of India’s Hindu population has dipped and that of the minority – Muslims, Christians, and Sikhs – have seen a rise between 1950 and 2015. The report has led to a political slugfest. We tell you why.

6. That’s a whole lot of politics. Now let’s talk about self-care. What should you be eating and what you shouldn’t? Well, there are a lot of Instagram influencers giving you a whole lot of fitness advice. But whom should you believe? Probably India’s top health body.

In its latest dietary recommendations, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) says that Indians should have less oil and salt (that should come as no surprise). It also advises that we should restrict the consumption of cereals and have more proteins – pulses, meat, poultry and fish. Know all about the ideal Indian diet in our story.

That’s all from India this week. We hope you enjoyed our handpicked list of stories. You can come back for more here.