As it is seen that speculations are being rife over the possibility of a move on part of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convener, Arvind Kejriwal, moving to the Rajya Sabha, the latter on Monday categorically ruled out such specions and made it it clear that there was no intention of shifting to the upper house. Kejriwal pledged his allegiance to active politics and ruling.
Addressing the press after AAP won by polls in Gujarat and Punjab, Kejriwal said, “Who gets to the Rajya Sabha will be determined by the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) and I am not going to get that. We do not see Kejriwal going.”
It was made a day after the AAP sitting Rajya Sabha MP Sanjeev Arora won byelection to Ludhiana West Assembly constituency, where he trounced senior Congress leader Bharat Bhushan Ashu by a lead of 10,637 votes. As Arora is now likely to quit his position at Rajya Sabha to become the MLA, the issue of who will fill his position in the Upper House has attracted garnering.
Considering the strength of AAP in the 117 members of Punjab Vidhan Sabha, as a party, it will have the ability to elect a successor of its own choice. This has spawned the speculation of a high-user nomination, with speculation of even Kejriwal himself being despatched to the Rajya Sabha.
But these speculations have been buried by the categorical denial by Kejriwal. The opposition parties tried to turn this into an election issue in the Ludhiana by-election which indicated that Kejriwal was looking at taking a parliamentary position. His visible and open refusal has now indicated the willingness to remain at the head of the party, concentrating on rule in Delhi and Punjab and extending the national presence of AAP.