‘People have the real power’: Kalpana Soren, Sunita Kejriwal’s war cry after arrest of Hemant Soren, Arvind Kejriwal

Wives of arrested chief ministers Arvind Kejriwal and Hemant Soren, Sunita Kejriwal and Kalpana Soren, sounded the bugle for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections 2024. They addressed a rally of the opposition INDIA block on Sunday at the Ramlila Maidan in Delhi. Wives of jailed Aam Aadmi Party leaders Sanjay Singh and Satyendar Jain were also present at the rally, but Manish Sisodia’s wife could not attend the event due to her health.  

The INDIA bloc, in their rally, also kept two chairs empty for Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren. The CMs’ spouses, addressing the rally, urged voters to vote the ruling BJP out. 

Several opposition leaders expressed unity with Kalpana Soren and Sunita Kejriwal at the INDIA bloc’s 'Loktantra Bachao' (save democracy) rally, including Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray. Thackeray said, "When two of our sisters are fighting, how can the brothers stay behind?...Not just us, the whole country is with you."

Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren was arrested on January 31 in a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam in Jharkhand. He had stepped down from his role as the CM shortly before the arrest. 

Kalpana Soren stated that tribals have a long story of struggle and sacrifices and are proud of their history. She accused the NDA government of “destroying” the guarantees provided by Babasaheb Ambedkar in the Constitution. She also brought up the issues of unemployment, inflation and the spread of communal disharmony. 

"Some parties may think of themselves as having absolute power, but people have the real power. Use your finger to vote for INDIA bloc in the polls. If you want to save your country and democracy, use your vote wisely," she said.
Kalpana Soren hails from Mayurbhanj district of Odisha, has a Masters in Engineering and an MBA degree.

Meanwhile, Delhi CM Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 in connection with the Delhi excise policy case. Sunita Kejriwal had held digital briefings where she read out messages by her spouse from the Enforcement Directorate’s custody. 

"Our Prime Minister Modi ji put my husband in jail. Did the prime minister do the right thing? Do you all believe that Kejriwal ji is a true patriot and honest person? These BJP people are saying that Arvind Kejriwal is in jail, he should resign. Should Arvind Kejriwal ji resign?" said Sunita Kejriwal. 

She read out a message by Arvind Kejriwal, where he asked the voters to dream of an India that can provide education and healthcare for all irrespective of their financial condition. “If you give an opportunity to the INDIA bloc, we will build a great nation,” his message stated.

Sunita Kejriwal assured that he would not remain in jail for long and called him a ‘sher’ (lion). 

The AAP has been facing a challenge regarding a worthy leader who could head the party as well as the government in Delhi. The name of Sunita Kejriwal has been doing the rounds as a possible replacement for the arrested leader. 

Sunita Kejriwal was a former IRS officer, who took voluntary retirement from Indian Revenue Service (IRS) in 2016 a year after Arvind Kejriwal became CM. She had served in the Income Tax department for nearly 22 years.