As the political temperature rises in Delhi ahead of the upcoming assembly elections, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has intensified its campaign by launching a sharp attack on opposition leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, branding them as "dishonest." This new salvo adds fuel to the fire between AAP and its rivals, especially as both Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have become increasingly vocal in their opposition to Kejriwal's leadership.
On Saturday, AAP took to its official social media platforms to release a poster that labeled prominent BJP and Congress leaders, such as Yogi Adityanath, Anurag Thakur, Sandeep Dikshit, and others, as "dishonest." The poster featured Arvind Kejriwal, the national convener of AAP, being depicted as the only "honest" figure, further polarizing the political atmosphere.
This bold move from AAP sparked a quick response from Congress. The party accused Kejriwal of betraying the opposition alliance and alleged that he had single-handedly handed over all seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi to the BJP during the last general elections. "If Arvind Kejriwal has any courage, he should publicly announce that he is leaving the INDIA alliance. He is the one who gave all seven seats to BJP in Delhi. Congress had to suffer huge losses because of this," said Alka Lamba, Congress candidate from Kalkaji.
Further complicating matters, Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh took a step further, claiming that AAP and BJP were two sides of the same coin. He accused AAP of being the "B Team" of BJP and even suggested that Anna Hazare's anti-corruption movement, which led to the formation of AAP, had links to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). "BJP and AAP are indistinguishable. AAP is the B team of BJP, and their collusion is clear," Ramesh said.
Ramesh also slammed Kejriwal's tenure as Delhi's Chief Minister, accusing him of lying his way into office. He pointed to the development achievements of the Sheila Dikshit government, claiming that under Kejriwal's rule, the capital had seen little progress apart from empty promises and "jumlas" (slogans).
The Delhi Assembly elections are scheduled for February 5, with vote counting set to take place on February 8. A total of 699 candidates will vie for the 70 assembly seats, including Parvesh Verma from the BJP, who is locked in a fierce battle with Kejriwal from the New Delhi constituency. While AAP dominated the previous elections, winning 67 out of 70 seats in 2015 and 62 in 2020, Congress is hoping for a strong comeback, despite its poor showings in the past.
As tensions rise, the battle for Delhi promises to be a high-stakes contest with both AAP and Congress determined to challenge the BJP’s growing influence.
