“Kejriwal Imandaar Hai”: Tearful relief boosts AAP in Punjab — But is 2027 a different battle?.........by GPS Mann
In a scene straight out of a political drama, Arvind Kejriwal broke down in tears outside the Rouse Avenue court on 27 February 2026, declaring “Kejriwal imandaar hai” after a Delhi court discharged him and Manish Sisodia in the excise policy case.
The judge cited “insufficient evidence” and slammed the CBI for relying on “conjectures and surmises” rather than concrete proof. For AAP, this is far more than legal relief — it is a powerful moral reset that strengthens the party’s position in Punjab at the perfect time.
The excise policy scandal had been AAP’s biggest political headache. For three years, BJP, Congress and SAD repeatedly called the party the “Alcohol Aaya Party”, claiming Delhi’s liquor policy kickbacks financed AAP’s Punjab and Goa campaigns.
The narrative had begun to stick in Punjab, where liquor addiction, farmer distress and rising state debt dominate kitchen-table conversations. Anna Hazare’s public rebuke that Kejriwal had “got entangled in liquor” only added to the damage.
The discharge now lets AAP flip the script decisively: “We were targeted because we challenge the system and we have been proved honest.”
In Punjab, this moral high ground can be a game-changer. The 2022 AAP wave was built on anti-corruption anger against the Badals and Captain Amarinder Singh. Kejriwal can now campaign as the man who survived the “Modi-Shah vendetta machine” and emerged cleaner, turning every rally into a powerful story of resilience.
Bhagwant Mann, whose folksy image was somewhat eclipsed by Delhi’s micro-management, suddenly has a far stronger national face to project. Internal surveys shown to AAP leaders indicate the “imandaar” tag will significantly blunt Congress’s “scam party” attacks and weaken SAD’s attempts to reclaim the “Panthic” vote.
The biggest advantage is clear: opposition parties will now have far lesser to say on the corruption issue. For years they hammered AAP on the liquor scam; that weapon has been blunted, if not completely taken away. Punjabis, who have historically resented “Delhi durbar” interference whether Congress high command or AAP’s national convenor will find it harder to paint the party as corrupt outsiders. The perception that Mann is a “remote-controlled CM” loses sting when the man controlling the remote has just been declared honest by a court of law.
Will this translate into seats in 2027?
Optimists rightly point to the 2022 precedent when Kejriwal’s personal campaigns swung rural belts. With the corruption cloud lifted, the party can now focus single-mindedly on its core promises free electricity, apni rasoi, health insurance Mohalla Clinic-style health centres, the Rs 1,000 monthly support to women, and teacher recruitment and most important to bridge the governance gap.
Even those who were sceptical admit that removing the “scam” tag gives AAP breathing space to address local grievances like groundwater crisis, stubble burning, law and order with renewed credibility.
Of course challenges remain. The Enforcement Directorate’s money-laundering probe continues and the Centre may attempt fresh legal moves. But after today’s discharge, any new twist will be seen by the public as yet another desperate political witch-hunt. AAP’s real task is straightforward political craftsmanship: visibly loosen Delhi’s grip where needed, further empower Mann on the ground, and deliver tangible governance wins in the next 12 months. The moral high ground now gives the party the perfect platform to do exactly that.
Kejriwal’s tears have given AAP a compelling story of resilience and honesty that resonates deeply in Punjab’s sceptical political culture.
With the opposition stripped of its favourite corruption stick, AAP is better placed than at any time since 2022 to convert this courtroom victory into a decisive 2027 mandate and counter the anti-incumbency. The “imandaar” moment is not just a photo-op; it is a genuine turning point that lets Punjab’s government to focus on development, delivery and good governance.
February 27, 2026
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GPS Mann, Farmer and Former Member of the Punjab Public Service Commission
gpsmann@substack.com
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