Parvesh Verma slams Kejriwal over failed Yamuna cleanup promises, urges Delhi to vote BJP

New Delhi [India], February 5 (ANI): Parvesh Verma on Wednesday slammed AAP Chief Arvind Kejriwal for failing to clean the Yamuna River despite repeated promises. Verma, who is contesting from the New Delhi Assembly constituency, urged voters to support the BJP, citing Kejriwal's inaction during his tenure in office.
"He (Arvind Kejriwal) had said that he will clean the Yamuna river, but did nothing. I appeal to the people to cast their vote in favour of the BJP. He said that the Haryana government has mixed poison in the Yamuna river. He got a chance thrice, but he did nothing. People have decided to form a BJP government this time. The lotus will bloom in the New Delhi seat too," he said.
He further said Arvind Kejariwal, saying he had 11 years to deliver but "cheated" people instead.
"Our priority will be to clean the Yamuna. I appeal to the people of Delhi to form a good government. He (Arvind Kejriwal) got a chance for 11 years, but today people have understood that they have been cheated and all those were lies and this time they will not fall prey to his lies," he added.
Polling for 70 assembly seats began on Wednesday morning in Delhi, as voters cast their ballots for the 8th Assembly amid tight security.
Voting commenced at 7.00 am and will continue till 6.00 pm, officials said.
Delhi has 1,56,14,000 registered voters, including 83,76,173 males, 72,36,560 females, and 1,267 third-gender voters. The electorate also includes 2,39,905 first-time voters aged 18-19, 1,09,368 elderly voters aged 85 and above, and 79,885 persons with disabilities.
Around 97,955 personnel and 8,715 volunteers have been deployed for the elections. Security measures include 220 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), 19,000 Home Guards, and 35,626 Delhi Police personnel, ensuring peaceful polling.
To promote inclusivity, 70 polling stations will be exclusively managed by women staff, and another 70 will be run entirely by persons with disabilities.
Additionally, 70 polling stations have been set up to encourage youth participation.Voters can use an AI-based Queue Management System app "Delhi Election - 2025 QMS", available on the Google Play Store, to monitor real-time crowd levels at polling stations.
Medical teams will be on-site for emergencies, and a creche facility will be available for parents with young children.Additionally, colour-coded polling stations and a helpline number (1950) will assist voters in locating their designated booth and addressing election-related queries.
The BJP's campaign, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, targeted Kejriwal over alleged issues with the Yamuna water and corruption. Meanwhile, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra held rallies, accusing AAP of "damaging" the infrastructure of Delhi.
Hotly contested constituencies include New Delhi, Jangpura, and Kalkaji. AAP, which currently holds more than 60 seats in the 70-seat assembly, seeks re-election based on its previous terms' achievements.
The New Delhi seat sees a high-profile three-way contest with former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal (AAP), BJP's Parvesh Verma, and Congress's Sandeep Dikshit (son of former CM Sheila Dikshit).
In the Kalkaji constituency, incumbent Chief Minister of Delhi CM Atishi is contesting against Congress's Alka Lamba and BJP's Ramesh Bidhuri.
Jangpura sees a contest between AAP's Manish Sisodia, Congress's Farhad Suri, and BJP's Tarvinder Singh Marwah.
The ruling Aam Admi Party (AAP) is eyeing a third term while the Bharatiya Janata Party is leaving no stone unturned to wrest back power. (ANI)