Arvind Kejriwal Birthday today: Manish Sisodia to lead Aam Aadmi Party padyatra in Delhi

Arvind Kejriwal's Birthday Today: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia will start his ‘padyatra’ in the national capital on August 16, marking the birthday of jailed chief minister of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal.

Sisodia, who is out on bail in the Delhi Liquor Policy case, is scheduled to begin the march from DDA Flats in Kalkaji, under the Greater Kailash assembly constituency, at 6.30 pm, an AAP spokesperson said. The march will start from Kalkaji MLA, Atishi's office.

The march is one of the outreach events planned by AAP in the run-up to next year’s Delhi assembly election, 2025. Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP swept the 2020 Delhi assembly polls by bagging 62 of the 70 seats. AAP had won 2025 elections too by bagging 67 of the 70 seats.

Earlier, Sisodia told news agency ANI that the decision to do a foot march in each of the 70 assembly constituencies of Delhi was taken up after discussions with party leaders. "My role in the party is decided after talking to the party leaders, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal decides it. Right now, after talking to the party leaders, it has been decided that I will go among the people in every street. I will do 'padayatras," he said.

The Supreme Court o August 9 granted Sisodia bail in both ED and CBI cases linked to the Delhi excise policy scam. Sisodia was in jail for 17 months. On August 14, the Supreme Court denied interim bail to Arvind Kejriwal in the CBI's corruption case related to the alleged Delhi Liquor Policy scam.

The Delhi excise policy was scrapped in 2022 following a CBI probe ordered by the Delhi lieutenant governor, which investigated alleged irregularities and corruption in the policy's formulation and execution.

The CBI and ED have claimed that irregularities occurred in modifying the excise policy and that undue favours were granted to license holders.

Born in Bhiwani in 1968

Arvind Kejriwal was born on August 16, 1968 in the Bhiwani district of Haryana. He was the first of the three children of Gobind Ram Kejriwal and Gita Devi. His father was an electrical engineer who graduated from the Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra      

In 1995, Kejriwal joined the Indian Revenue Service (IRS) as an Assistant Commissioner of Income Tax, after qualifying the Civil Services Examination. In February 2006, he resigned from his position as Joint Commissioner of Income Tax in New Delhi.

In 2012, he launched the Aam Aadmi Party, which won in the 2013 Delhi Legislative Assembly election for the first time. Since 2012, Kejriwal has been the national convenor of AAP.