As Delhi votes in the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha elections, former Pakistani minister Fawad Chaudhry has shown support for Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Kejriwal cast his vote along with his family on Saturday. Previously, Chaudhry supported Kejriwal after he received bail in a money laundering case related to the alleged liquor excise policy.
Chaudhry posted on social media platform X, saying, “May peace and harmony defeat forces of hate and extremism.” This message supported Kejriwal and subtly criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi. After Kejriwal got interim bail from the Supreme Court on May 10, Chaudhry had called it “another battle” lost for the Indian PM.
In response, Kejriwal told Chaudhry that India could solve its own problems and didn’t need support from the Pakistani leader. “The situation in Pakistan is very bad right now. You should take care of your own country,” Kejriwal wrote.
Voting in Delhi started on Saturday in the sixth phase of the 18th Lok Sabha elections. One lakh polling personnel were deployed to ensure smooth voting. To protect people from the extreme heatwave in north India, polling stations were equipped with fans, air conditioners, drinking water, ramps, wheelchairs, and other facilities.
Earlier this month, Chaudhry reacted to Kejriwal’s bail by calling it “good news for moderate India.” Kejriwal was released from Tihar Jail after spending over 50 days there. The Supreme Court granted him interim bail for election campaigning but required him to surrender on June 2.
Chaudhry had posted on X, “Modi G Lost another battle #Kejriwal released… good news for moderate India.”
Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on March 21 in connection with a money laundering case linked to the alleged liquor scam. The Supreme Court granted him interim bail with strict conditions, including not visiting the Office of the Chief Minister or the Delhi Secretariat and not contacting witnesses.
Previously, Chaudhry praised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his party’s promise to conduct a wealth redistribution survey if elected. He compared Rahul Gandhi to his great-grandfather and India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, calling both “socialists.”