Had Arvind Kejriwal been in the movies, he would have won numerous Oscars by now, outshining many acting legends. He has delivered another brilliant performance in front of the cameras, and it remains to be seen if he will secure another Oscar. In his latest role, he portrays a martyr, victimised by a powerful system and imprisoned for a crime he insists he did not commit. He has now presented himself before the public, believing that, as the hero, he will emerge unscathed and victorious, reaffirming his heroic image. However, Kejriwal seems to forget that politics is not a film.

Kejriwal's resignation drama resembles the 'lost and found' formula films of the 1970s and 1980s. He needs to be reminded that times have changed, and such formulas no longer guarantee success. In an era shaped by social media and AI, the tastes and aspirations of audiences have evolved. The world now lives in moments. Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a similar mistake in the 2024 parliamentary elections and it did not work. Similarly, in Delhi, Kejriwal's theatrics are unlikely to be effective this time. People in Delhi will judge and vote based on the performance of his government. If they believe he has served them well as Chief Minister, he may return to power. However, if public sentiment is otherwise, he may struggle.

His offer to resign and appoint a new Chief Minister is a sign of weakness and has diminished his standing in the eyes of the public. If he intended to resign, he should have done so at the time of his anticipated arrest by the ED. Like Hemant Soren, he could have convened a meeting of the legislature party and appointed a new leader to take charge of the national capital. Instead, he declared he would govern from jail. Kejriwal has played with the letter and the........

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