Bhubaneswar: The situation for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) led by Aravind Kejriwal is becoming difficult due to the reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) on the ill famous liquor policy and health schemes during its regime.
The CAG has revealed that the Excise policy implemented by the AAP government for the fiscal year 2021-22 resulted in a staggering revenue loss exceeding Rs 2,000 crore for the Delhi government.
AAP had not tabled as many as 14 CAG reports during its rule. The BJP has been demanding the tabling of these reports and even the Delhi High Court had directed the Delhi Government to table these. But AAP government under Atishi chose to ignore the HC order. But BJP in its election manifesto had promised the table these reports in the first session of Delhi Assembly if it was returned to power.
The CAG’s findings do not stop there; they also scrutinized the liquor regulation and supply framework in Delhi from 2017-18 to 2020-21, the period during which the previous excise policy was in effect. This audit uncovered a range of financial discrepancies and issues that have further tarnished the party’s reputation.
For sure, the implications of this report are significant, as it has bolstered the position of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and provided additional ammunition to investigative agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which are currently probing allegations of corruption and money laundering involving former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and other senior officials within the AAP.
The 2021-22 Excise policy was initially designed with ambitious goals in mind: to streamline the liquor trade, enhance transparency, prevent monopolistic practices, and ultimately maximize revenue for the government. However, the CAG report paints a different picture, indicating that the policy was riddled with flaws and failed to achieve the objectives that were set forth.
In response to the criticism, the AAP has defended its decision to abandon the ‘flawed’ previous policy, yet it has not provided a clear explanation for the shortcomings encountered with the new excise framework. This utter lack of clarity raises questions about the party’s governance and policy implementation capabilities. It serves as a stark reminder that even the well-conceived policies can falter if they are not executed effectively.
As the AAP grapples with these challenges, the political landscape in Delhi continues to shift, and the party’s future remains uncertain. The combination of financial mismanagement allegations, the fallout from the CAG report, and ongoing investigations could have lasting repercussions for the AAP and its leadership.
The party must now navigate a complex web of political and legal challenges while attempting to regain the trust of the electorate and restore its standing in the capital. There is every reason to believe that the excise fraud and the lavish makeover of the Chief Minister’s home, mockingly called Sheesh Mahal by the BJP, contradicted AAP’s big promise of clean and easy governance.
It’s ironic that a party that gained popularity by fighting corruption now struggles to escape the corruption label. It may be recalled that AAP lost the public’s trust long before its defeat in the 2025 Assembly elections.
The damaging findings from the CAG will make it even tougher for the party to win back the confidence of the people.
