Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is preparing to declare former West Delhi MP Parvesh Verma as its chief ministerial candidate for the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections.

"According to sources, BJP is going to declare Parvesh Verma as its CM face. Will the people of Delhi want to make such a person their CM?" Kejriwal posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Kejriwal also alleged that BJP leaders were distributing money to buy votes in his New Delhi constituency. "I just returned from several areas in my New Delhi Vidhan Sabha constituency. People everywhere told me that these individuals are openly buying votes. They are offering Rs 1,100 for one vote. People said they would take the money but not vote for them," Kejriwal claimed.

Atishi Accuses BJP of Cash Distribution

Backing Kejriwal?s claims, AAP leader Atishi alleged that Parvesh Verma was caught distributing cash from his official residence.

"The BJP is distributing cash to people after checking their voter cards in the New Delhi constituency. Today, Parvesh Verma was caught red-handed giving out money at his official residence, allocated to him as an MP. Women from slums were called and handed Rs 1,100 in envelopes," Atishi said during a press conference.

She further claimed that crores of rupees were stashed at Verma's residence and urged the Election Commission to order raids. "I want to inform the ED and CBI that cash worth crores of rupees is still at Parvesh Verma's house. I urge the Election Commission to instruct the ED and Delhi Police to raid his official residence and arrest him immediately," she added.

Atishi also alleged that the distributed pamphlets bore pictures of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president JP Nadda.

Department Denies "Mahila Samman Yojana"

The controversy comes as the Department of Women and Child Development issued notices disavowing the registration process for a so-called "Mahila Samman Yojana." The department clarified that no such scheme exists and any attempts to collect information in its name are fraudulent.

"It is clarified that no such scheme has been notified by the Delhi Government," the department stated, adding that people have been visiting government hospitals and offices seeking information about the fake scheme.

Political Tensions Ahead of Polls

With the Delhi Assembly polls expected in early 2025, tensions are escalating between the AAP and BJP. In the 2020 elections, AAP won 62 of the 70 seats, while BJP managed to secure eight.

Kejriwal criticized BJP?s alleged tactics, stating, "If you had worked for the public in the past ten years instead of abusing me, you wouldn?t need to resort to buying votes in this election."