Arvind Kejriwal's Arrest Amidst the Start of Lok Sabha Election Process: Impact on Indian Politics

The arrest of Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister of Delhi, on Thursday night in connection with the liquor policy case has stirred up a storm in the country's politics. Following his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) after a two-hour-long interrogation, Kejriwal was presented before the Rouse Avenue Court in New Delhi on Friday and remanded in custody until March 28. This development has injected turmoil into the political landscape amidst the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, with all political parties announcing their candidates for the upcoming polls. However, no list of candidates from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress has emerged for Rajasthan as of Friday. Nevertheless, the India Alliance has announced Amararam from Sikar, Rajasthan, as its candidate.

**BJP's Fourth Candidate List Released**

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released its fourth list of candidates for the Lok Sabha elections on Friday, including names from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. The party announced its candidates for 14 seats in Tamil Nadu and one seat in Puducherry.

**Congress's Pending Candidate Lists**

There are indications that the Congress party might release another list of candidates late on Friday, particularly for the remaining candidates in the first phase. It is also speculated that the Central Election Committee meeting of the BJP is proposed, and there is a possibility of finalizing the remaining names for Rajasthan in this meeting. So far, the Congress party has announced its candidates for a total of 139 seats, with 39 names in the first list, 43 in the second, and 57 announced on Thursday.

**Potential Candidates for Rajasthan**

According to reliable sources, the Congress's next list may include some significant names from Rajasthan. It is speculated that Murarilal Meena from Dausa, Bhajanlal Jatav or Rakshi Bairwa from Karauli-Dholpur, Arjun Bamaniya from Banswara-Dungarpur in case of no alliance with the Indian Tribal Party, Prahlad Gunjal who recently joined Congress from BJP from Kota-Bundi, Kartik Chaudhary from Rajsamand, Vidhyadhar Chaudhary or Anil Chaudhary from Jaipur Rural might be announced.

**Lok Sabha Election Process**

It's worth noting that the Lok Sabha elections will be held in seven phases. Voting for the first phase will take place on April 19, for the second phase on April 26, for the third phase on May 7, for the fourth phase on May 13, for the fifth phase on May 20, for the sixth phase on May 25, and for the seventh and final phase on June 1. Vote counting for the 543 Lok Sabha seats will be conducted on June 4.

**Impact of Arvind Kejriwal's Arrest**

Arvind Kejriwal's arrest in connection with the alleged liquor scam in Delhi has thrown a significant political figure into the mix. Prior to him, Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, AAP's Rajya Sabha MP and Kavita, daughter of former Telangana CM KCR have also been arrested in the same case. The ED has presented Arvind Kejriwal before the PMEL Court and sought a 10-day remand. They have claimed that Kejriwal is the mastermind behind the liquor scam, and the money was used in the Goa elections. Kejriwal was directly involved in making the liquor policy and favored specific individuals. Vijay Nayar is working for Kejriwal. Abhishek Manu Singhvi, a Congress leader, has presented evidence in Kejriwal's defense. India Alliance's leaders approached the Election Commission seeking justice.

It remains to be seen how Arvind Kejriwal's arrest amidst the initiation of the Lok Sabha election process will shape the course of Indian politics.