Aam Aadmi govt goes

• Jan Lok Pal Bill rejected by the Assembly at introduction stage
• Kejriwal resigns and recommends dissolution of the Assembly
• State headed for President’s Rule as BJP is not likely to form govt

A glance at 49-day stint

• Water and power tariffs considerably reduced
• Audit of power discoms ordered and strengthened ACB
• Subsidised power bills of supporters who did not pay
• Staged dharna against cops for not obeying his Ministers
• Supported his Ministers despite controversial actions
• FIR filed against Mukesh Ambani, Moily and others

They (Congress) know that if this law is brought in, their leaders will end up in jail. The moment we touched Ambani, both BJP and Cong closed their ranks and attacked us. Will resign a thousand times in my fight against corruption

New Delhi: In a dramatic turn of events, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal resigned on Friday night, after his much-publicised Jan Lokpal Bill was stalled in the Delhi Assembly at the introduction stage itself. Terming it unconstitutional, both Congress and BJP voted against the Bill, thus defeating it by 42 votes; 27 votes were cast in favour of the Bill.

He recommended the immediate dissolution of the Delhi Assembly and holding of fresh elections. Now, Delhi is headed for President's Rule as BJP is unlikely to form an alternative government.

Waving his resignation letter to a cheering crowd, Kejriwal criticised the Congress, which gave in writing to support to the Jan Lokpal Bill but reneged on its commitment. "They know that if this law is brought in, their leaders will end up in jail," he said. Since December 28, 2013, he said he and his colleagues worked without rest and respite for the people of Delhi. The water and power tariffs were reduced, audit of discoms was ordered and corruption levels had considerably reduced during his tenure. Just three days ago, he said, an FIR was registered against business tycoon Mukesh Ambani, who backs both the Congress and the BJP. "The moment we touched Mukesh Ambani, both the Congress and the BJP closed their ranks and came together against us," he said.

In the last Delhi Assembly elections, he said AAP got 28 seats and he vowed not to seek support from either the Congress or the BJP. When the Congress forcibly gave its support, he asked the people whether he should accept the support and the popular verdict was in favour of taking the support as long as it was forthcoming. "My desire was to pass Jan Lokpal Bill. The Congress gave in writing that it will support it. When it was to be introduced in the Delhi Assembly, both the Congress and the BJP joined hands to block it," he said.

Kejriwal was desperate to resign as the Chief Minister as he was keen to take his battle against corruption to the Lok Sabha by throwing up an alternative to the electorate, who neither want Narendra Modi or Rahul Gandhi as the Prime Minister. Tabling the Jan Lokpal Bill in the Delhi Assembly, despite stiff opposition from the BJP and the Congress, was a calculated decision of Kejriwal. He knew that the Bill would be thwarted, but took the risk as he has set his sights on the Prime Minister's chair.

In his speech in the Delhi Assembly before the Session was adjourned sine die, Kerjiwal said that both the BJP and the Congress were exposed, blaming them for terming the Bill as unconstitutional. He threatened to take his fight from "Sadan to Sansad" (from Assembly to Parliament). He said that he was not afraid to resign a thousand times to eliminate corruption from the country."We have come not to save the government but to save the nation," he asserted.

In his 49-day stint as Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal took several controversial decisions, the latest being subsidising the electricity Bills of all AAP supporters, who did not pay their electricity bills as per the call given by him ahead of the Delhi Assembly polls. Earlier, he had also staged a dharna in the heart of the city, demanding action against Delhi Police officers for not obeying the orders of Delhi Law Minister Somnath Bharti and Delhi Women & Child Development Minister Rakhi Birla.