From Kejriwal To Lalu Prasad, Here Are CMs & Ministers Who Refused To Resign Despite Arrest

Last Updated:August 20, 2025, 17:56 IST

Amid calls of "draconian" and "misuse", the three Bills for removal of PM, CM and ministers on 30-day arrest over criminal charges, were referred to a joint parliamentary panel

AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal became the first ever sitting CM to be arrested and imprisoned. (Image: PTI/File)

The three Bills for the removal of prime minister, chief ministers, and ministers arrested on serious criminal charges for 30 days – introduced by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Parliament – has drawn fierce protests from the opposition.

Amid calls of “draconian" and “misuse", the Bills on Wednesday were referred to a joint parliamentary panel. While the ruling side said the proposed legislation provides “a solution for people like Arvind Kejriwal", opposition parties said they are “against the principles of natural justice".

Kejriwal, who became the first ever sitting chief minister in India to be arrested, was running Delhi from behind bars for at least six months. Lalu Prasad Yadav, the RJD veteran who got embroiled in multiple corruption cases and convictions during his tenure as CM, may not have served from jail but he did not go willingly and was forced to resign.

There are more examples of ministers who have refused to step down from their posts or give up their portfolios, despite facing arrest. And many who continue as chief ministers, union ministers and state ministers even in the face of serious criminal charges and no arrest.

Here is a list of such CMs and ministers:

Arvind Kejriwal (Delhi)

The most prominent and recent example on this list is AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal. On March 2024, he became the first ever sitting CM in India to be arrested and imprisoned. After being released on bail, he vowed to resign on September 15, 2024, to campaign for the Delhi assembly elections and formally did so on September 17, 2024. He was succeeded by then education minister Atishi as CM.

Lalu Prasad Yadav (Bihar)

Another prominent name would be former Bihar CM Lalu Prasad Yadav. Even though he was unwilling to resign as CM, he was eventually forced to do so after his arrest and conviction in the fodder scam, a multicrore corruption scandal involving the illegal withdrawal of funds from the government treasury. In his stead, he appointed his wife Rabri Devi but continued to be a key figure in state and party politics.

Narayan Rane (Maharashtra)

When Narayan Rane was Union MSME minister, he faced a brief arrest in 2021 for making derogatory comments against Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. But, he did not, in that period, resign from his ministerial post.

Satyendar Jain (Delhi)

Another AAP leader, Satyendar Jain held the portfolios for health, home, and public works when he was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in 2022 in a money laundering case related to alleged corruption and hawala transactions. Despite his arrest and ongoing legal proceedings, Jain did not resign from Kejriwal’s cabinet for at least nine months before he finally gave up alongside fellow leader Manish Sisodia, who resigned from the cabinet following his arrest in the alleged excise scam in February 2023.

News politics From Kejriwal To Lalu Prasad, Here Are CMs & Ministers Who Refused To Resign Despite Arrest

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