New Delhi:

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal has said that the Trinamool Congress and Samajwadi Party have announced support to his party in the upcoming Delhi assembly elections.

Mr Kejriwal, who is the former Chief Minister of Delhi, also hit out at the Congress for “partnering” with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) discreetly. 

All the four parties – AAP, Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party and Congress – are partners in the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) and had jointly fought the Lok Sabha elections last year. 

In a post on X on Wednesday, Mr Kejriwal said he is “personally grateful” to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is also the Chairperson of the Trinamool Congress, for extending her support. 

“TMC has announced support to AAP in Delhi elections. I am personally grateful to Mamata Didi. Thank you Didi. You have always supported and blessed us in our good and bad times,” the former Delhi Chief Minister said.

TMC has announced support to AAP in Delhi elections. I am personally grateful to Mamta Didi. Thank you Didi. U have always supported and blessed us in our good and bad times.

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) January 8, 2025

Minutes later, Trinamool’s Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien responded to Mr Kejriwal’s post, saying: “We have your back @AamAadmiParty.” 

On Tuesday night, Mr Kejriwal extended his gratitude to Samajwadi President President Akhilesh Yadav for his party’s support to the AAP in next month’s polls. “Thank you very much Akhilesh ji. You always support and stand with us. I and the people of Delhi are grateful for this,” he wrote in Hindi on the micro-blogging platform, as he shared a news report claiming that the SP will support the AAP in the polls.

There was no public statement or announcement either from Mr Yadav or the Samajwadi Party on the matter but sources said that he expressed his intent to support the AAP, after a press conference on Tuesday.

बहुत बहुत शुक्रिया अखिलेश जी। आपका हमेशा हमें सपोर्ट और साथ रहता है। इसके लिए मैं और दिल्ली की जनता आभारी हैं। https://t.co/as58s2ksDt

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) January 7, 2025

The Trinamool and the Samajwadi Party had thrown their weight behind the AAP in the 2020 Delhi assembly elections as well. 

Mr O’Brien had uploaded, on X, a video endorsing not just Mr Kejriwal as Chief Minister but all AAP candidates.

As the AAP swept the 2020 elections, Mr Yadav congratulated Mr Kejriwal on the big win. 

Meanwhile, Mr Kejriwal hit out at the Congress after its leader, Ashok Gehlot claimed that AAP leaders are delusional about its victory in the next month’s polls.

“They are our opposition. It’s their misconception that just because they have won the previous two elections, they will repeat their performance this time. The Congress is campaigning well and we know that the results will be good this time,” Mr Gehlot said. 

Hitting back, Mr Kejriwal said the Congress has made it clear that the “AAP is its opposition in Delhi”. “People also felt that AAP is the opposition for Congress and BJP is its partner. People also believed that BJP and Congress are fighting the elections together against AAP. Till now this cooperation between you two was secret. Today you have made it public. Thank you on behalf of the people of Delhi,” the AAP National Convenor wrote on X. 

Both the AAP and the Congress have been locked in an intense battle, over various issues, for quite some time. Though the two parties fought the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Delhi under the INDIA bloc, they are fighting the assembly elections separately. 

The two parties had blamed one another for the poll debacle in the Capital during the parliamentary elections.

Last month, Delhi Congress leader Ajay Maken’s remarks that a tie-up with the AAP during the Lok Sabha polls was a “mistake” further worsened relations between the allies. The AAP said it will ask other members of the INDIA bloc to remove the Congress from the alliance, if the latter does not act against Mr Maken for his remarks.

Voting for the 70-member Delhi Assembly will be held in a single phase on February 5 and the results will be announced on February 8.

The Congress, which was in power for 15 consecutive years in Delhi, suffered setbacks in the last two assembly elections and failed to win any seat. In contrast, the AAP dominated the 2020 assembly elections by winning 62 out of 70 seats while the BJP got only eight seats.

New Delhi:

Over 1.55 crore Delhi voters will vote in the Assembly election on February 5 and the votes will be counted on February 8, the Election Commission announced today. Delhi has 70 Assembly constituencies, 12 of them reserved. A total of 13,033 polling stations will host the election for choosing members of the eighth Delhi Assembly.

According to the schedule announced by the Election Commission, the polling will be held in a single phase. The last date to file nominations is January 17 and withdraw candidates is January 20. With the announcement of the schedule, the model code of conduct is now in force in the national capital.

Announcing the schedule at a press meet, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said over 2 lakh youngsters will vote for the first time in this election. Announcing several initiatives to make the voting experience smooth, the poll body said arrangements would be made for the elderly and persons with disabilities to access polling booths without difficulty. It also said those above 85 years can cast their vote at home.

AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal asked party workers to go all-out in their preparations. “Even the biggest systems fail before your passion. You are our greatest strength. This is an election between the politics of work and the politics of abuses. We will surely win,” he said in a post on X.

BJP president welcomed the announcement of the poll dates. “I appeal to the people to choose a government that contributes to creation of a developed Delhi. BJP is committed to Delhi’s all-round development under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he said.

During the press conference, the Chief Election Commissioner also dismissed allegations of manipulation of Electronic Voting Machines (EVM). He said EVMs are tamper-proof and hacking them is impossible. “EVMs are not hackable. Every claim of manipulation has been thoroughly investigated and debunked. This technology has consistently upheld the principles of free and fair elections,” Mr Kumar said.

The poll body also responded to allegations of manipulation of voter lists. Both the AAP and the BJP have accused each other of getting names added and deleted from voter lists to boost poll prospects. Mr Kumar said the Election Commission rigorously follows due process for any change in voter lists.

While the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is pushing hard for a third consecutive term in this election, the Opposition BJP has gone all out to turn the tables. Also in the fight is the Congress, which is going alone and targeting both the BJP and the AAP — its ally during the Lok Sabha polls.

The dates of Assembly polls in Delhi will be announced at 2 pm today, the Election Commission has said. The tenure of the 7th Delhi Assembly ends on February 15 and members of the next Assembly must be elected by then.

While the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is pushing hard for a third consecutive term, the Opposition BJP has gone all out to turn the tables. Also in the fight is the Congress, which is going alone and targeting both the BJP and the AAP — its ally during the Lok Sabha polls.

AAP’s national convener Arvind Kejriwal, who stepped down as Chief Minister after he was granted bail in a corruption case, is leading the party’s campaign. The 56-year-old leader has said he would return to the top job only after the “people’s court” verdict. Delhi’s former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has also said he would take up a role in the cabinet after the “people’s verdict”. Mr Kejriwal, Mr Sisodia, AAP MP Sanjay Singh and former Delhi minister Satyendra Jain were arrested by central agencies in corruption cases. The party has termed it vendetta politics and accused the BJP of using probe agencies for political goals.

The ruling AAP is showcasing its work in education and health to seek votes. It has also made several promises, including assistance of Rs 2,100 to women and free treatment for the elderly.

The BJP, on the other hand, has accused AAP of corruption and mismanagement of the capital’s affairs. Alleging large-scale corruption by Mr Kejriwal in renovating the Delhi Chief Minister’s residence, the party has claimed that AAP is headed for a big defeat.