Arvind Kejriwal Dares BJP: “Hold Delhi Polls, I’ll Quit If You Win Over 10 Seats”

Arvind Kejriwal, fresh from acquittal in the Delhi liquor policy case, directly challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP to face fresh Assembly polls in the capital. "I will quit politics if the BJP wins more than 10 seats," Kejriwal said at a press conference after the court verdict.

The Rouse Avenue court discharged Aam Aadmi Party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and 21 others, sharply criticising the Central Bureau of Investigation. The judge held that investigators did not present reliable material to back their charges and said the alleged conspiracy and criminal intent failed basic judicial tests.

Political fallout of Delhi liquor policy case

All 23 accused, including former BRS leader K Kavitha, walked free in the Delhi liquor policy case after the court said the prosecution case did not stand scrutiny. Kejriwal welcomed the order as a major relief, stating that justice had finally been done, and thanked senior lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi and the rest of the legal team.

The Aam Aadmi Party chief repeated that the liquor probe was the "biggest political conspiracy in independent India," which AAP claimed was designed by the BJP to remove the Delhi government from office. Kejriwal insisted the case was fabricated from the start and alleged that investigative agencies were misused for political ends.

Kejriwal’s charge against BJP over Delhi liquor policy case

Raising the political temperature, Kejriwal argued that Delhi residents had paid the highest price since the BJP returned to power in the 2025 Assembly elections. "The entire Delhi has been ruined. The biggest consequence of PM Modi and Amit Shah's lust for power has been borne by the three crore people of Delhi. Go and ask the people of Delhi. Today I challenge Modi ji. If you have the courage, hold elections in Delhi again. If you get more than ten seats, I will quit politics. The people of Delhi are fed up with you people".

The AAP leader also delivered a direct personal attack on the top BJP leadership, saying Narendra Modi and Amit Shah should focus on governance rather than targeting rivals. Kejriwal alleged that the ruling party was "trying to destroy and malign" political formations like AAP instead of addressing public issues affecting ordinary citizens.

Court’s view on evidence in Delhi liquor policy case

Kejriwal stressed that the court’s ruling went beyond simple discharge and directly questioned the basic strength of the case. "If there was any substance in this, the trial would go on for fifteen or twenty years. Numerous witnesses would be called, evidence would be presented. The court said it was a frivolous case, so fake, so useless, so wrong. I'm not saying this. There are the court's words", Kejriwal noted while referring to the detailed order.

The AAP chief underlined that both CBI and Enforcement Directorate had already filed charge sheets in the Delhi liquor policy case. Kejriwal explained that the hearing was limited to checking, on a prima facie level, whether the available material justified framing charges, and that the actual trial stage had not begun when the court dismissed the proceedings.

Kejriwal quoted the court’s task in clear terms, saying, "The court had to decide whether there was sufficient material to prosecute". Referring to the nearly 600-page judgement, Kejriwal said the judge went through all documents and depositions before ruling that "there was not even enough evidence, not even enough witness statements".

According to Kejriwal, the order noted there was "not even a shred of evidence to even prosecute this case," and claimed that if the case had entered a full trial "it would have been impossible". Kejriwal argued that this language showed how weak the Delhi liquor policy case always was, despite the long investigation.

Accusations against Modi and Shah in Delhi liquor policy case

Intensifying the political confrontation, Kejriwal alleged that the top BJP leadership personally directed the entire matter. "This entire conspiracy was hatched by two people – Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, and today they should both apologise to the entire nation. They conspired together to destroy the Aam Aadmi Party, to destroy it".

Kejriwal further said that national interest should come before electoral gain, arguing that no leader should "play with the country and the Constitution in this way" just to hold power. According to Kejriwal, legal institutions and agencies should not be turned into political tools against opposition parties or elected state governments.

Background of Delhi liquor policy case and key figures

The Delhi liquor policy case centred on the capital’s 2021–22 excise regime, which the CBI and ED said was framed by the AAP government to help chosen private liquor firms. Investigators alleged that a cartel referred to as the "South Group" paid about Rs 100 crore in kickbacks to AAP leaders.

According to the Central Bureau of Investigation, profit margins for retailers were raised from 5 per cent to 12 per cent, which the agency claimed enabled the alleged kickback arrangement in the Delhi liquor policy case. The matter began with a July 2022 report from the Delhi Chief Secretary, who flagged suspected irregularities and policy violations.

Following that report, Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena recommended a CBI inquiry into the Delhi liquor policy case, triggering parallel probes by both CBI and ED. Former Excise Minister Manish Sisodia was arrested in February 2023, while Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was taken into custody in March 2024; both later obtained bail from the Supreme Court.

Delhi elections and political impact of Delhi liquor policy case

The controversy around the Delhi liquor policy case became a central feature of the BJP campaign ahead of the 2025 Assembly polls and damaged AAP’s public image. The BJP went on to win 48 of the 70 seats, while AAP, which had secured 67 seats in 2015 and 62 in 2020, dropped to 22.

Kejriwal argued that the Delhi liquor policy case and the arrests of senior AAP leaders were central to that electoral setback and insisted that the acquittal showed voters a different picture. With all accused discharged and the court questioning the evidence, AAP signalled plans to rebuild its organisation while continuing its attack on the BJP’s handling of the matter.