Delhi Polls: BJP says Delhi will be 'Kejriwal free' on Feb 8, AAP banks on its welfare schemes

New Delhi [India], January 27 (ANI): With just a few days left for the high stakes Delhi assembly polls, ruling Aam Admi Party leaders led by its national convenor Arvind Kejriwal and top leaders of Bharatiya Janata Party including Union Home Minister Amit Shah intensified their election campaigning on Sunday.
Arvind Kejriwal led AAP's campaign on the plank of welfare schemes and emphasised that his party's 'model of governance' focuses on providing 24-hour free electricity to the poor, and quality education and medical treatment to the people.
He accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of giving public money as loans to "billionaire friends" and claimed that BJP would stop all the facilities being provided to people in Delhi if it comes to power.
Drawing a comparison between the BJP model and the 'welfare model' of his party, Kejriwal said, "On one hand, there is the BJP model where your money is given as a loan to billionaire friends and it is waived off after 2-3 years. The other is the Aam Aadmi Party model which includes 24-hour electricity, and free electricity to the poor. 24-hour free water, best and good treatment... this is the Aam Aadmi Party's welfare model."
"The Bharatiya Janata Party has made it clear in different ways, through the words of different leaders, that if their government is formed, if you press the lotus button, all these facilities being provided in Delhi will be stopped because this is against their model," he said while addressing a press conference on Sunday.
Addressing a public rally in Jangpura on Sunday, Kejriwal warned the people those who want "hefty sums" of electricity bills can vote for BJP.
"All those who want zero electricity bill, vote for AAP, and all those who want hefty sums as electricity bills can vote for BJP. BJP has announced that they will end subsidies on electricity once they form government...They are against free electricity," he said.
Senior AAP leader and party's candidate from the Jangpura constituency, Manish Sisodia, emphasised that the party will put more focus on the people's governance.
"If I become MLA - I'll sit with Arvind Kejriwal as a cabinet member and deputy CM. It's not only me but the people of Jangpura who will become the deputy CM - as just one call from anyone of Jangpura at any govt office will be enough for any work to be done. No govt employee will have the courage to not pick the call of someone from the Deputy CM's constituency," he claimed.
Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party also intensified its attacks on Arvind Kejriwal alleging 'misgovernance', "broken promises" and "corruption". Home Minister Amit Shah launched a scathing attack on the ruling AAP, accusing its tenure of being marked by broken promises.
Addressing a public meeting in Narela, Shah said, "Elections would be held on February 5. The people of Narela will cast their vote. Counting will take place on February 8. And, on February 8, Delhi will be free from 'Aapda'. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called the AAP an 'aapda'. The misgovernance of Kejriwal will come to an end on February 8."
"Under Kejriwal's governance, our Delhi has gone from bad to worse. In ten years, many states of the country where double-engine governments were formed, reached great heights but Delhi is struggling with waterlogging, dirty water and garbage," he added.
The Home Minister also alleged that AAP had insulted Purvanchali voters. "They (AAP) have not only created chaos but have also insulted our Purvanchalis. They say that Purvanchalis are fake voters. Kejriwal ji, do my brothers and sisters from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand not have the right to vote in Delhi?" Shah inquired.
BJP leader and candidate from New Delhi seat, Parvesh Verma alleged that Kejriwal is distributing money to thousands of paid workers in exchange for votes.
"People of AAP are distributing notes of Rs 500 wrapped in calenders in the slum areas. Such videos came up from the Gandhi camp a day earlier. Police caught and arrested them there. An NCR (Non-Cognizable Report) has been prepared by the police. Cases have been registered against them," Verma told ANI.
"Thousands of people have been called and they are getting Rs 800 on a daily wage basis to work (for the AAP). They have not brought the money from their houses. Arvind Kejriwal is giving them money to distribute it in exchange for votes to him," he added.
Union Minister and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, while campaigning for Parvesh Verma said that Delhi will be "free from Kejriwal" on February 8. Chouhan also heaped praise on the former MP calling Verma the "future of Delhi".
"'8 February, Dilli Kejriwal se free'... Now free him. You have tolerated enough in these 10 years. Kapil Mishra is not just a leader of the present, he is also the future of Delhi," he said at the campaign rally.
Notably, as the polling date comes closer, the campaigning continues to intensify. The Aam Aadmi Party is eyeing a third term while the Bharatiya Janata Party -- which has been out of power in Delhi for close to three decades -- is leaving no stone unturned to wrest back power from the ruling party.
The elections are scheduled on February 5 and the counting of votes is set for February 8. A total of 699 candidates are in contest for the 70 Assembly seats in the National Capital.
The Congress, which was in power for 15 consecutive years in Delhi, has suffered setbacks in the last two assembly elections and failed to win any seats.
In contrast, AAP dominated the 2015 and 2020 assembly elections, winning 67 and 62 seats, respectively, out of a total of 70 seats, while BJP secured only three and eight seats in these elections. (ANI)