Once branded himself as 'Kattar imaandar' Arvind Kejriwal now faces allegations related to the Sheesh Mahal and excise policy scam

Arvind Kejriwal Biography: Early Life | Education | Family | Political Career

Arvind Kejriwal is AAP Supremo and Ex CM of Delhi. His party is currently fighting a crucial election for Delhi Assembly for which voting is scheduled on February 5. Under his leadership, his party once dubbed as the most successful political startup formed government in 2 places- Delhi as well as Punjab making AAP third party after BJP & Congress in current times to have government in more than one state.

Arvind Kejriwal Early Life and Education

Full Name: Arvind Kejriwal

Arvind Kejriwal Wife Name: Sunita Kejriwal

Arvind Kejriwal Children Name: Pulkit Kejriwal and Harshita Kejriwal

Date of Birth: August 16, 1968

Place of Birth: Siwani, Haryana, India

Parents: Gobind Ram Kejriwal (father) and Gita Devi (mother)

Kejriwal grew up in a middle-class family and showed an early interest in academics. He completed his schooling from the prestigious St. Xavier's School in Delhi. He then pursued a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur, one of India's top engineering colleges.

Also read: 2025 Elections: Delhi and Bihar results could reshape the political narrative nationwide

Arvind Kejriwal Early Career

After completing his engineering degree, Kejriwal joined Tata Steel in Jamshedpur. However, he soon left his corporate job to pursue a career in social activism and public service. This marked the beginning of his transition from a private sector job to his later involvement in social and political movements.

Social Activism

Kejriwal became actively involved in the fight against corruption. In 2000, he joined the Indian Revenue Service (IRS) as an officer, and while working with the government, he came into contact with issues related to corruption. During this time, he also began his work with NGO- Parivartan a grassroots initiative that focused on helping people access their rights and fight for transparency in government schemes.

India Against Corruption Movement/ Anna Hazare Aandloan

Kejriwal's name gained nationwide recognition when he became a prominent member of the India Against Corruption (IAC) movement, led by social activist Anna Hazare in 2011. The movement aimed to fight corruption and advocate for the Jan Lokpal Bill (an anti-corruption bill).

Kejriwal played a key role in organizing protests and raising public awareness about the need for anti-corruption measures. The movement became instrumental and one of the reasons for defeat of Delhi government led by Sheila Dixit in 2013 & also UPA government in 2014 paving way for Kejriwal as CM of Delhi & Narendra Modi as PM of India.

Arvind Kejriwal Political Career and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)

In 2012, Arvind Kejriwal founded the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), a political party aimed at combating corruption and promoting transparency in politics. His political journey began with a significant victory in the 2013 Delhi Legislative Assembly elections, where AAP emerged as a strong contender and Kejriwal became the Chief Minister of Delhi for the first time. However, his tenure was short-lived, as he resigned in February 2014, citing the failure to pass the Jan Lokpal Bill in the Delhi Assembly.

Despite this setback, Kejriwal and AAP’s popularity grew. In the 2015 Delhi Assembly elections, AAP won a resounding victory, securing 67 out of 70 seats. Kejriwal was re-elected as Chief Minister, and under his leadership, Delhi saw various reforms in areas like education, healthcare, and electricity distribution.

Arvind Kejriwal Policies and Achievements

As Chief Minister, Kejriwal's government has focused on improving education, healthcare, electricity, and water supply in Delhi. Some of his notable achievements include:

Education: Major reforms in Delhi's government schools, including the construction of new classrooms, teacher training programs, and improved infrastructure.

Healthcare: Expansion of Mohalla Clinics to provide accessible healthcare to Delhi's citizens.

Electricity and Water: Reduction in electricity tariffs and efforts to provide free water to residents in Delhi.

Anti-corruption: Kejriwal's administration has taken steps to reduce corruption in the Delhi government, making it a central pillar of his governance.

Arvind Kejriwal Controversies

Despite his successes, Kejriwal has faced controversies throughout his career. He has been criticized for his confrontational style of politics and his frequent run-ins with the central government and the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi. His government has also faced criticism for not being able to resolve all of Delhi's problems as promised, particularly in areas like traffic congestion and pollution.

Excise policy controversy - Kejriwal went to jail but still continued as CM

Less than a year later, in July 2022, Delhi's Chief Secretary, Naresh Kumar, flagged policy violations to Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena. This led to a recommendation for an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The submitted report highlighted alleged "financial losses to the exchequer" exceeding Rs 580 crore.

After various rounds of investigation the then CM Kejriwal was arrested by ED in June 2024. However, Kejriwal continued to remain CM & ran the government from behind the bars. This led to huge uproar among the opposition which questioned the probity & moral duty of the CM.

The Supreme Court granted him bail in September 2024 ,but imposed several conditions. The most notable of these is a restriction preventing him from entering the Chief Minister's office or signing any official documents. As a result Kejriwal decided to resign from the post of CM and trusted MLA Atishi Marlena was anointed as his successor.

Yamuna poisoning remark

In the heat of the election campaign, Kejriwal in his attempt to target the BJP, gave a controversial statement. He had said that poison is being mixed into the Yamuna to make its water untreatable. If people in Delhi consume this water, many will die. This is nothing short of a mass murder.

Haryana from the water is supplied to Delhi was to respond and CM Nayab Singh Saini himself took a sip of the water and said no poison was mixed. PM too slammed Kejriwal and said that water sent by Haryana was consumed by everyone in Delhi including himself. EC also sought reply from AAP on Kejriwal's statement.