As the Delhi Assembly elections approach, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Chief Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday claimed that the upcoming polls would unveil an alleged long-standing alliance between the Congress and the BJP, referring to it as a “jugalbandi” (collusion).
Kejriwal’s remarks came in response to BJP leader Amit Malviya, who reacted to Kejriwal’s comments about Congress MP Rahul Gandhi.
In a post on X, Kejriwal stated: “I said just one line about Rahul Gandhi, and the BJP has already started replying. Look how much trouble the BJP is facing. Perhaps this Delhi election will expose the ‘jugalbandi’ going on behind the scenes between Congress and BJP for years.”
On Monday, Kejriwal had criticized Gandhi, stating that while Gandhi’s focus is on saving the Congress, his own fight is to “save the country.” He added that although Gandhi had criticized him, he would refrain from responding.
“Rahul Gandhi abused me a lot today. But I will not comment on his statements. His fight is to save Congress; my fight is to save the country,” Kejriwal said.
Reacting to Kejriwal’s statements, BJP leader Amit Malviya took to X, saying: “Worry about the country later, save your New Delhi seat for now.”
At a public rally in Seelampur, Delhi, Rahul Gandhi criticized both the BJP and AAP, questioning their efforts to address inflation and support the poor.
“I wish to ask, is inflation increasing or decreasing? What did Kejriwal and PM Modi say on inflation? They promised to reduce it. Has it been reduced? The poor are becoming poorer, while the rich are getting richer,” Gandhi stated.
He further alleged that 100 to 150 billionaires are controlling the country, adding: “They get all the privileges. Have you ever seen PM Modi speak about Adani and Ambani? Has Kejriwal ever said anything about Adani?”
The Delhi Assembly polls will be conducted in a single phase on February 5, with the counting of votes scheduled for February 8.
Key dates include:
- Last date for filing nominations: January 17
- Scrutiny of nominations: January 18
- Last date for withdrawal of candidature: January 20
The political climate in Delhi is heating up as parties prepare for a tightly contested election.
