New Delhi:

AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal today said the Delhi Assembly polls were not just a contest for the national capital but the entire country. The election pits two contrasting ideologies — one focused on welfare of the general public and the other on benefiting a select group of wealthy individuals — against each other, he said.

“This election is about deciding how taxpayers’ money should be spent. One ideology, represented by the BJP, uses public funds to waive loans worth thousands of crores for its close associates. The other, our AAP model, focuses on providing free electricity, education, health care and transport to benefit the common man,” Mr Kejriwal said at a press conference.

Criticising the BJP-led Centre, the former Delhi chief minister alleged that it had waived debts amounting to Rs 10 lakh crore of 400-500 industrialists during the past five years.

“The BJP model gives people’s money to its friends as loans and then writes off those loans in two to three years. In contrast, the AAP model provides direct benefits to the public, including welfare schemes worth nearly Rs 25,000 per month for each household in Delhi,” he said.

Mr Kejriwal also accused the BJP of planning to end all welfare schemes initiated by AAP if it gains power in Delhi.

“The BJP has already clarified it will stop free electricity, free bus rides (for women), and other benefits provided by the Delhi government. I ask the people, will they be able to bear this cost if the BJP is elected?” he said.

Mr Kejriwal also lashed out at the BJP for labelling welfare measures as “freebies”, alleging that the BJP was trying to create guilt among the middle class while offering massive concessions to big businesses.

“When the BJP waives loans worth thousands of crores for its friends, is that not a freebie?” he asked.

Elections to the 70-member Delhi Assembly will be held on February 5 and the votes counted on February 8.

AAP is seeking a third consecutive term in office while the BJP is attempting to regain power in the national capital for the first time since 1998.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

A stone was thrown at Arvind Kejriwal’s car, which his party has blamed on the BJP, as the AAP leader was campaigning across the city for the February 5 Delhi polls, sparking the latest flashpoint between the ruling party and the BJP.

BJP’s Parvesh Verma, the challenger against Mr Kejriwal in the New Delhi constituency, alleged that the former Delhi Chief Minister’s car hit two BJP workers.

“Fearing defeat, BJP panicked, got its goons to attack Arvind Kejriwal,” the AAP, which has been ruling Delhi since 2013, posted on X within minutes of the attack on its leader. 

The AAP further alleged that BJP’s Parvesh Verma, son of former Delhi Chief Minister Sahib Singh Verma, got his supporters to attack the AAP leaderformer to stop him from campaigning, adding that the people of Delhi will give a befitting reply.  

“The goons of BJP candidate Parvesh Verma targeted Arvind Kejriwal with stones so that he could not campaign. Listen BJP, Arvind Kejriwal is not going to back down because of your cowardly attack on him. The people of Delhi will give you a befitting reply,” the AAP posted on X. 

Manish Sisodia, Mr Kejriwal’s party colleague, was quick to condemn the BJP over the attack.

“If you don’t have the courage to fight against the work of Arvind Kejriwal, then you got your goons to attack him. There cannot be any more cheap and low level politics than what BJP is doing. BJP should understand that the public will now give you a befitting reply for this brick,” Mr Sisodia said.

A black SUV, shows a video, is surrounded by security men on either side as a few protesters try and obstruct the car’s way. A big stone comes flying from one end, hits the roof of the car, in which Mr Kejriwal is seated, and falls away, shows the video. 

हार के डर से बौखलाई BJP, अपने गुंडों से करवाया अरविंद केजरीवाल जी पर हमला

BJP प्रत्याशी प्रवेश वर्मा के गुंडों ने चुनाव प्रचार करते वक्त अरविंद केजरीवाल जी पर ईंट-पत्थर से हमला कर उन्हें चोट पहुंचाने की कोशिश की ताकि वो प्रचार ना कर सकें।

बीजेपी वालों, तुम्हारे इस कायराने… pic.twitter.com/ltFAIqt12F

— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) January 18, 2025

Parvesh Verma, in his defence, has blamed Mr Kejriwal of high-handedness, alleging that the AAP leader’s car hit BJP workers.

“The car of Arvind Kejriwal hit a BJP worker. The leg of the worker is broken and I am going to the Lady Hardinge Medical College to inquire about his health…This is very shameful…,” said Mr Verma. 

#WATCH Delhi: On AAP alleging attack on the convoy of Arvind Kejriwal, BJP candidate from New Delhi assembly seat, Parvesh Verma says, “The car of Arvind Kejriwal has gone ahead by crushing the worker of the BJP. The leg of the worker (BJP) has broken and I am going to the Lady… pic.twitter.com/63CAwqOVPK

— ANI (@ANI) January 18, 2025

“Local youth asked about jobs and Arvind Kejriwal hit them with his car,” claimed Mr Verma, adding that this is “clearly an attempt to murder” and the BJP will be filing charges against Mr Kejriwal.

स्थानीय युवाओं ने नौकरी देने का स्वाल पूछा और केजरीवाल ने मार दी अपनी गाड़ी से टक्कर । pic.twitter.com/3VsnLg8wuI

— Parvesh Sahib Singh (@p_sahibsingh) January 18, 2025

On Wednesday, amid intelligence reports that a pro-Khalistan group is plotting an attack against Arvind Kejriwal, the three-time chief minister said that “God will save him” and he is destined to live as long as his “lifeline” allows.

Mr Kejriwal, a Z-plus protectee, has a comprehensive protection detail comprising 63 personnel, including a pilot, escort teams, close protection staff and search-and-frisk units. Additionally, 15 uniformed personnel from the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) are deployed for his protection.

In November last, a man threw liquid on Arvind Kejriwal, who was on a padyatra in the city. At the time, the AAP had alleged that the attacker was linked to the BJP.

New Delhi:

Sandeep Dikshit, Congress candidate for the New Delhi Assembly constituency, expressed confidence in securing a victory in the upcoming elections as he is filing nomination on Thursday.

Reflecting on his interactions with the public, Mr Dikshit said he is optimistic about the party’s prospects, that his meetings with residents have shown a positive shift in sentiment toward the Congress.

“I have a very good feeling about our chances,” he stated, adding that after meeting numerous people and gauging their opinions on other political parties, he realised that there was growing support for Congress.

He emphasised that understanding the public mood was crucial in forming his outlook for the elections. Mr Dikshit also shared his belief that voters were increasingly dissatisfied with the performance of the AAP government.

In response to the ongoing controversy surrounding BJP leader Parvesh Verma, including an FIR related to his actions at a temple, Mr Dikshit commented on the allegations, particularly the incident of distributing shoes.

He criticised such tactics, noting, “These actions are not representative of someone committed to social service. Our focus is on public service, not handing out charity.” He emphasised that politics should be about policies and not about making promises through material giveaways.

“If even a few voters change their votes based on inducements, it goes against the very spirit of democracy,” he added.

Mr Dikshit also addressed the recent approval by the Ministry of Home Affairs for a money laundering case against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. He remarked that this was expected given the ongoing rumours and the financial irregularities observed during elections in Goa and Punjab.

“We had seen significant financial activity by the Aam Aadmi Party on the ground,” he said. He also referenced a report from the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India that exposed financial misconduct within Kejriwal’s party.

In Delhi, the election to the 70-member Assembly will be held on February 5 and the counting of votes on February 8.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Delhi Chief Minister and AAP candidate Atishi will file her nomination today from the Kalkaji Assembly Constituency for the Delhi Assembly polls, scheduled on February 5.

In a post on X, Atishi said that first, she would visit the Kalkaji Temple to get the blessing of Kalka Maa.
“I am going to file my nomination today. I will go to Kalkaji temple and take the blessings of Kalka Mai. Then after praying at Giri Nagar Gurudwara, I will start the nomination rally. In the last 5 years, I have received a lot of love from my family in Kalkaji. I am sure their blessings will remain with me,” she said.

आज अपना नामांकन भरने जा रही हूँ। कालकाजी मंदिर जाऊँगी और कालका माई का आशीर्वाद लूँगी। फिर गिरी नगर गुरुद्वारे में अरदास कर, नामांकन रैली की शुरुआत करूँगी।

पिछले 5 साल, कालकाजी के मेरे परिवार से, मुझे बहुत प्यार मिला है। मुझे भरोसा है कि उनका आशीर्वाद मुझ पर बना रहेगा। pic.twitter.com/xlwnPosa6G

— Atishi (@AtishiAAP) January 13, 2025

Speaking to ANI, the AAP leader targeted the BJP, accusing it of doing “Farzivada” in the Assembly polls.

“The BJP has become accustomed to winning elections through ‘farzivada’. They may have done this in Maharashtra and Haryana as well, but in Delhi, they got caught. From December 15 to January 8, there were 13,000 new voting applications in the New Delhi Legislative Assembly. It is clear that the BJP is indulging in forgery. We will not let the BJP do anything wrong. The BJP has been in power at the Centre for over 10 years, and what have they done for the Delhi people? Their only job is to abuse Kejriwal. They neither have a face for the CM nor any vision,” Atishi said.

The AAP leader is in the electoral fray against the BJP candidate Ramesh Bidhuri and Congress’ Alka Lamba for the Kalkaji seat.

Meanwhile, just six hours after asking people to fund her assembly election campaign, Delhi Chief Minister Atishi raised more than Rs 15 lakh through her online portal on Sunday.

Atishi has set a goal of garnering Rs 40 lakh as her election campaign fund, contesting from the Kalkaji Assembly constituency. As of January 10, 5:30 PM, the party’s donation page shows 278 people have donated a total of Rs 15,15,930 to her.

Earlier, Atishi turned to crowdfunding, claiming that people have donated money supporting the party’s “honest politics” and that the party does not take money from businessmen.

“People donated money to support Aam Admi Party’s honest politics. We don’t take money from big businessmen for elections. AAP government works for the common people. For my election from Kalkaji, I am launching a crowdfunding campaign for Rs 40 lakh, which I need for the election. People can donate any amount they want,” Atishi told reporters here on Sunday.

The Delhi assembly polls will be held in a single phase on February 5 and the counting of votes will take place on February 8.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

The Election Commission of India (ECI) today dismissed allegations of electronic voting machine (EVM) manipulation. Addressing a press conference today to announce the dates of the Delhi Assembly elections, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said that EVMs have repeatedly passed the test of judicial scrutiny and have earned the trust of the nation’s highest courts on 42 separate occasions.

The Delhi polls are set to be held on February 5 and the counting is scheduled for February 8. 

Mr Kumar said that EVMs are tamper-proof, rendering rigging and hacking impossible. He described allegations of tampering as “baseless” and stressed that the ECI has always prioritised transparency and accountability in the electoral process.

“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. “On 42 different occasions, the judiciary has reaffirmed trust in EVMs. These machines represent years of technological evolution and are a matter of national pride.”

Mr Kumar also addressed concerns regarding alleged manipulation of voter lists, an issue that has become a major point of contention in the run-up to the Delhi Assembly elections. Political parties, including the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress, have alleged discrepancies in voter rolls, claiming wrongful deletions and additions.

Responding to these allegations, Mr Kumar stressed that the Election Commission rigorously follows due process for any changes in voter lists.

“The preparation of electoral rolls is a transparent process involving political parties at every stage,” he said. “These allegations are baseless. Disclosure is our main pillar, and detailed guidelines and datasets are available on our website.”

Mr Kumar added that the ECI ensures full disclosure and provides opportunities for objections throughout the process. “All deletions and additions are done following the due process of law. There is no room for manipulation,” he said.

The AAP has accused the BJP of orchestrating deletions in constituencies where it has a strong voter base. AAP leader and former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had claimed in December that the BJP sought to remove over 11,000 names from the voter list in the Shahdara Assembly segment. Mr Kejriwal also alleged that a similar “Operation Lotus” was underway in his own constituency, New Delhi. 

The BJP has denied these allegations, countering that AAP has been adding fake names to voter lists to inflate its support base. 

AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday described the two projects inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as milestones for Delhi’s infrastructure and claimed they were joint ventures between the central and the city governments.

PM Modi inaugurated a 13-kilometre stretch of the Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridor from Sahibabad in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad to New Ashok Nagar here and the Janakpuri West-Krishna Park Extension section of the Delhi Metro’s Phase IV.

During a press conference, Mr Kejriwal congratulated the people of Delhi and asserted that the projects were a collaboration between the city and the central governments.

Taking a dig at his critics, Mr Kejriwal said, “These inaugurations are a reply to those who say AAP only engages in fights.” Referring to the challenges faced by his party, he claimed AAP leaders were imprisoned and tortured but maintained their focus on governance.

“Over the past 10 years, our tenure has shown how we kept work above everything else,” he said.

He also hit out at PM Modi, alleging that the prime minister devoted the majority of his speech to criticise the Delhi government.

Mr Kejriwal said, “Today, the prime minister kept abusing the people of Delhi and the elected government of Delhi. I was listening to it, it felt bad. The promise made by the prime minister in 2020 — the people of Delhi Dehat are still waiting for that to be fulfilled.” 

The former chief minister also urged PM Modi to fulfil the promises made in the BJP’s election manifesto.

With elections to the 70-member Delhi Assembly due in February, Mr Kejriwal’s remarks underlined AAP’s focus on development amid its continuing tussle with the Centre.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal today announced the launch of the ‘Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana’ – a scheme that promises a monthly allowance of Rs 18,000 for Hindu temple priests and Sikh gurdwara granthis if his party is re-elected in Delhi.

“Pujaris and granthis are an integral part of our society. They’ve selflessly served the community for generations, often at the expense of their own families. This scheme is our way of honouring their contributions,” Mr Kejriwal said.

Mr Kejriwal, seeking a fourth consecutive term for AAP in the Delhi Assembly, said that the registration process for the scheme will begin immediately. He is expected to visit Hanuman Mandir in Connaught Place on Tuesday to oversee the initial phase.

The announcement comes as AAP readies itself to take on the BJP and Congress in the elections. Mr Kejriwal took a swipe at both parties, urging them to replicate similar welfare measures in other states. 

“We know how pujaris serve us. Be it the birthday of our kid or the death of a loved one, they have always connected us with God. But they never gave attention to their own families, and neither did we pay enough attention to them. This is happening for the first time in the country. We have done many works in the national capital which happened for the very first time. We improved schools and hospitals and made bus travel for women. I just hope that the BJP and the Congress governments will learn from this and will implement such schemes in the state run by them,” Mr Kejriwal added. 

However, the announcement has not been without controversy. On the same day, imams affiliated with the Delhi Waqf Board protested outside Mr Kejriwal’s residence, demanding overdue salaries. The All India Imam Association claimed that imams had not been paid for 17 months and accused the Delhi government of ignoring their plight.

New Delhi:

The Congress Tuesday released its second list of 26 candidates for the upcoming Delhi Assembly polls, fielding Farhad Suri against AAP’s Manish Sisodia from Jangpura while also giving tickets to ex-AAP MLAs Asim Khan and Devender Sehrawat.

With this list, the Congress has declared a total of 47 candidates for the elections for the 70-member Delhi Assembly.

While Khan has been fielded from Matia Mahal, Sehrawat has been given a ticket from Bijwasan. Both the former AAP MLAs joined the Congress on Monday.

Suri will take on AAP’s Sisodia from Jangpura.

The Congress also fielded Satish Luthra from Shakur Basti, Rajesh Lilothia from Seemapuri (SC), Haji Mohammad Ishraq Khan from Babarpur, Rajesh Chauhan from Deoli (SC), Pradeep Kumar Upmanyu from Delhi Cantt and Sumit Sharma from Laxmi Nagar.

The party had released its first list of 21 candidates earlier this month, fielding ex-MP Sandeep Dikshit from New Delhi, setting up a contest between him and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal.

The Congress also fielded its Delhi chief Devender Yadav from Badli, ex-Delhi minister Haroon Yusuf from Ballimaran, ex-Delhi Congress chief Chaudhary Anil Kumar from Patparganj, national spokesperson Ragini Nayak from Wazirpur and Adarsh Shastri from Dwarka.

The list came hours after the Congress’ Central Election Committee (CEC) approved it.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chief Rahul Gandhi participated in the CEC meeting via video conferencing while Delhi in-charge Qazi Mohammad Nizamuddin and Delhi unit chief Devender Yadav, among other members of the CEC, were physically present at the AICC headquarters.

After the Congress’ CEC meeting, the party’s Delhi in-charge Qazi Mohammad Nizamuddin told reporters, “Earlier the discussion happened in the screening committee meeting, now a detailed seat-wise discussion happened in the CEC meeting. There are many seats that have been cleared by the CEC. There are some pending seats.” When asked about the names of candidates on some prominent seats of Delhi, he said, “All 70 seats are important for us. We will try to fight strongly on all seats.”

The Delhi Assembly elections are likely to be held in February next year. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

The BJP will not project a Chief Ministerial candidate for the Delhi polls and a “big name” will contest against Arvind Kejriwal, top party sources told NDTV on Friday.

Not naming a Chief Minister is a strategy that the BJP has followed in Maharashtra, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, among other states.

Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party or AAP – earlier than other parties in the poll race – has already announced candidates for all 70 seats for the elections due early next year.

The sources said that the BJP is “extremely confident” of giving a tough fight in the New Delhi seat held by Arvind Kejriwal and a “big name” will be contesting against the former Chief Minister.

Days after securing bail in the liquor policy case in September, Mr Kejriwal quit as Chief Minister naming Atishi in his place.  

“I got justice from the legal court, now I will get justice from the people’s court. I will sit on the Chief Minister’s chair only after the order of the people,” said Mr Kejriwal in September, who is now on a padyatra (foot march) across all Delhi constituencies.

The BJP plans to target the Delhi government over alleged corruption, said the source, adding anti-incumbency is the other point on which the BJP is banking on.

Former BJP MPs and those who were not given the ticket in 2024 Lok Sabha polls may be asked to contest the Delhi polls, the source said further.

Some seats will also be distributed between Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party and Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal United, BJP allies.

On Wednesday, the BJP announced a 21-member State Election Committee tasked with screening of potential candidates. Later, Prime Minister Narendra Modi-chaired Central Election Committee will meet to take the final call.

In 2015, the AAP won 67 seats and the BJP just three. In the next election in 2020, the AAP won 62 seats and the BJP eight. The Congress failed to open its account on both occasions.
 

New Delhi:

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has called for a preparatory meeting this week over next year’s Delhi elections. The dates for the much-anticipated polls will be announced shortly after this meeting, sources said. 

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has released the names of its candidates for all 70 seats in the Delhi Assembly. Party chief Arvind Kejriwal has confirmed that he will contest from his New Delhi seat in the upcoming polls while Chief Minister Atishi will fight from her Kalkaji constituency.  

The Congress has fielded Sandeep Dikshit, son of the late three-time Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit, while BJP may put forward Parvesh Verma, son of the late Chief Minister Sahib Singh Verma for the polls. The BJP candidates’ list for the upcoming Delhi Assembly polls, expected around last week of this month, is likely to have a significant number of fresh faces, party leaders said on Monday.

Ahead of elections to the 70-member Delhi Assembly, due in February, the BJP has launched a massive outreach campaign to get a foothold in the city’s slums, considered to be strongholds of the ruling AAP.

The party received over 2,000 applications from the workers and leaders from all the 70 constituencies for the ticket to contest the elections, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said.

“A significant enthusiasm for the BJP is being witnessed among various sections of the society in Delhi as the city gears up for the assembly elections,” he said in a statement.

The BJP leaders said the process for candidates’ selection was in an advanced stage and three probables on each constituency were already shortlisted.

The BJP out of power in Delhi since 1998 is making all efforts to upstage the ruling AAP that has dominated the assembly elections since 2015. The AAP romped home winning 67 and 62 seats, respectively in the last two assembly polls in 2015 and 2020.