Delhi Polls: How Kejriwal’s Arrest Brought His Wife Sunita To AAP’s Star Campaigner List

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Last Updated:January 21, 2025, 08:00 IST
An IRS officer until 2016, Sunita Kejriwal is not a mass leader or a great orator but kept a low profile while her husband, Arvind Kejriwal, made headlines. But, her public appearances have helped the AAP chief
AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal’s wife Sunita Kejriwal, who was announced as one of the star campaigners for the Delhi polls, has already started a house-to-house campaign for her husband in the New Delhi seat. (Image: PTI/File)
Sunita Kejriwal was there alongside her husband, Arvind Kejriwal, in the 2020 assembly elections in Delhi, seeking votes for him but she was not part of the AAP’s official election campaign until recently.
Only after Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal went to jail in March last year, Sunita Kejriwal started getting space as one of the party’s star campaigners. She was there for the Lok Sabha, Jammu and Kashmir, as well as Haryana polls.
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The AAP, however, was unable to create magic in any of these elections, except gaining entry into the J&K assembly with a single victory in Doda. Now, when the list of star campaigners for Delhi was announced, Sunita found a mention yet again.
She is not a mass leader or a great orator but kept a low profile all these years while her husband was making headlines. She appeared in public only when necessary.
But, Sunita’s appearance as Kejriwal’s wife has always helped him. Be it when he went for a sit-in at the Delhi L-G’s house in 2018 or when he went to jail in March last year. She has always managed to gather emotional support for her husband.
She has been spotted walking behind or beside Kejriwal on important occasions, but only marked a mute presence without making noise. Even when there were murmurs about finding Kejriwal’s replacement for the post of chief minister, the BJP was expecting her name to be announced but she stayed away.
Sunita has mostly made her public statements when Kejriwal has been absent – once in 2018 when Kejriwal stayed at the L-G’s official residence to protest against the officials working in Delhi. And, then in March 2024, after he went to jail, she would deliver his letters addressed to the people of Delhi.
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An officer of the Indian Revenue Service (IRS) until 2016, she quit her position and took voluntary retirement. She has helped Kejriwal maintain the image of a “family man”, while their children have also been seen on important occasions, including during political campaigns.
Sunita and her daughter were seen in the 2015 and 2020 assembly polls in Delhi. They even campaigned in Punjab in 2022, followed by the general elections. “She is among those in Delhi who has an appeal among the women in the city. They connect with her and respect her. Every time she has stepped out in public, it has helped us a lot,” an AAP leader told News18.
“She is important for the party. Although for every candidate, their families are out there seeking votes and Sunita ji is no different. She has stood with the party in everything we faced. Her guidance is equally important for us,” the leader added.
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Although it is not yet clear if she will be holding public meetings and rallies or just simply doing road shows and door-to-door campaigns, she has already started a house-to-house campaign for Kejriwal in the New Delhi assembly seat and even went to his nomination rally.
Location : First Published:January 21, 2025, 08:00 IST
News elections Delhi Polls: How Kejriwal’s Arrest Brought His Wife Sunita To AAP’s Star Campaigner List