Kejriwal accuses BJP, Congress of ganging up against AAP in Delhi

In what could end up cracking the INDIA bloc, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday (January 4) launched a bitter attack on the Congress and BJP, asking them to join hands against his party.

“Don’t take the Congress seriously,” he said at a media briefing, amid a protest by a section of women from Punjab who raised slogans against the AAP government in that state.

Kejriwal alleged that the women were allied to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress, with which the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is in alliance in the opposition INDIA grouping.

Also read: Delhi polls | BJP fields Parvesh Verma against Kejriwal, Bidhuri against Atishi

Kejriwal attacks BJP, Congress

"The Congress should not worry about us," he said. "Those women belong to their (Congress and BJP) party. They have not come from Punjab, the women in Punjab are with us. They have faith in AAP.

“The Congress and BJP should officially announce that they are contesting elections together against AAP in Delhi."

Kejriwal said the AAP's governance model had consistently delivered on promises, citing free water supply to over 12 lakh families in Delhi as a case in point.

Don’t pay high bills: Kejriwal

He said that while he was in prisons, several people got exorbitant water bills.

Also read: Delhi polls: Modi-Kejriwal spar on graft sets stage for shriller campaign

"I want to publicly and officially announce that those who think their bills are wrong, they need not pay. Wait for the elections; AAP will form the government, and we will waive off those wrong bills," he said.

The protesting women from Punjab alleged that the AAP-led Punjab government had not fulfilled its pre-election promise to provide Rs 1,000 a month to every woman in the state.

Congress attacks AAP

The AAP's Mukhya Mantri Mahila Samman Yojana in Delhi proposes a Rs 2,100 monthly stipend for women over 18.

“Just like the AAP deceived the women of Punjab, they are now planning to deceive the women of Delhi," the Congress said in a statement.

Also read: PM spent 39 mins cursing AAP govt as Centre did nothing for Delhi: Kejriwal

BJP announces candidates

The BJP, meanwhile, announced its first list of candidates for the Delhi Assembly elections.

The BJP’s Pervesh Verma has been fielded against Kejriwal in the New Delhi constituency and Ramesh Bidhuri will take on Atishi in Kalkaji.

The AAP ruled Delhi for 49 days in 2013-14 and then came to power winning 67 out of 70 seats in 2015. It won 62 seats in 2020. The Congress could not win even one seat on both occasions.