Why Vijay Nair's arrest is a massive setback for Arvind Kejriwal and AAP

Sep 30, 2022 - 19:30

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Why Vijay Nair's arrest is a massive setback for Arvind Kejriwal and AAP

Vijay Nair is an unofficial boss in the Aam Aadmi Party’s power structure. But he was always a backstage man. Even though the AAP was aware of his position of authority, the party leaders refused to acknowledge it until the Central Bureau of Investigation detained him on Tuesday night in connection with an alleged excise policy fraud. Nair has been referred to as the communication in charge by the AAP, and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has described him as “just a karyakarta”. While the first claim is partially accurate, the AAP insiders say that the national convenor’s claim that the person is simply another party worker is dubious.

Nair significantly contributed to the AAP’s victory in the Punjab election and the 2020 Delhi Assembly elections. The Gujarat plan of the Aam Aadmi Party was in fact made possible by Vijay Nair, the former CEO and founder of the event management company Only Much Louder or OML. The party’s ability to formulate strategies will be weakened by Nair’s arrest, which will also jeopardise its plans for national growth. Vijay Nair was one of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s closest confidants, according to Aam Aadmi Party sources. From 2020 onward, Vijay Nair played a significant role in the creation of policies as well as political, media, financial, and social media strategies.

How Vijay Nair came in contact with AAP

Vijay Nair’s affiliation with the Aam Aadmi Party starting in 2014 has been mentioned in numerous media reports. The story, though, takes place much earlier. Several Bollywood stars including Vishal Dadlani, Raghu Ram, Anupam Kher, Purab Kohli and others became involved in the Anna Hazare-led India Against Corruption movement in 2011. From that point on, Arvind Kejriwal met numerous movie stars, their friends, and young people from Maharashtra. Some of these people later assisted in fundraising when Kejriwal decided to found the Aam Aadmi Party. Vishal Dadlani and Raghu Ram actively promoted the Aam Aadmi Party while actors like Anupam Kher distanced themselves from the organisation.

Raghu Ram campaigned for AAP in the 2013 elections. Vishal Dadlani even sang the anthen of AAP, “5 saal kejriwal” in 2015.