Manish Sisodia's re-entry will add more power to AAP's arsenal ahead of Haryana polls

New Delhi: The bail for senior leader Manish Sisodia has come as a huge relief for the AAP, whose hope of seeing Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal out on bail was dashed in the recent times, while trying to steer its campaign in poll-bound Delhi and Haryana.

Sisodia getting out of the jail comes at a time the AAP is struggling to erect a campaign structure in Haryana where Assembly polls are due before the end of this year followed by Delhi early next year. While Kejriwal’s wife Sunita has become the AAP mascot, the party is yet to gather steam in Haryana.

A few months ago, AAP Rajya Sabha floor leader Sanjay Singh too had got bail in the liquor scam case, giving some impetus to the party in running the organisation.

While Sandeep Pathak as General Secretary (Organisation) is handling party affairs and Singh running the political affairs in the absence of Kejriwal, the re-entry of Sisodia will add more power to the AAP arsenal as he is considered the second-in-command after the Chief Minister.

His release from Tihar Jail was celebrated by the party in a big way with senior leaders and ministers like Atishi and Singh receiving him outside the prison. His first meeting was with Kejriwal’s wife and other family members.

On Saturday, Sisodia visited Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial Rajghat and Hanuman Temple in Connaught Place. On ‘X’ he posted, "First tea of an independent morning... After 17 months. The freedom that the Constitution has given to all of us Indians as a guarantee of the right to live. The freedom that God has given us to breathe in the open air with everyone.”

Addressing party workers in AAP headquarters here, Sisodia asked party workers and people to fight against the "dictatorship" in the country while expressing confidence that Kejriwal will soon be out of jail. "Every person has to fight against this dictatorship which is not just putting leaders in jail but also harassing citizens," he said.

He said Kejriwal is a symbol of honesty in the country and conspiracies are being hatched to defame the AAP supremo's work. If opposition leaders unite against the "dictatorship", he said Kejriwal will come out of jail in 24 hours.

"We are just horses of a chariot but our real 'saarthi' (charioteer) is in jail, he will come out soon".