New Delhi [India], January 15: Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri expressed confidence that the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) rule in Delhi will come to an end following the upcoming assembly elections on February 5. He predicted a victory for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and declared that their candidate, Ramesh Bidhuri, would win.
Speaking to the media, Puri said, “On February 5, ‘AAP-da’ will end, and the BJP will emerge victorious in Delhi. There is an anti-incumbency wave.”
Puri also criticized Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, accusing him of broken promises and corruption. He pointed to the deteriorating state of the Yamuna River, poor air quality, and the condition of the roads as evidence of Kejriwal’s failure. Additionally, Puri highlighted Kejriwal’s broken pledge not to buy a car, citing an RTI response that revealed Rs 1.5 crore spent by the Delhi government on his vehicles and Rs 50 lakh on Manish Sisodia’s cars. “Their credibility is low, and there’s a clear issue of personal corruption,” he added.
Ramesh Bidhuri, the BJP candidate contesting from the Kalkaji constituency, also spoke about the situation, claiming that there was no real competition in the seat due to a strong anti-incumbency sentiment. He said, “People have bid farewell to Atishi. There were fewer than 50 people present when she filed her nomination.” Bidhuri further criticized Arvind Kejriwal for being dishonest and stated, “We are here to serve the people, not to lie and become CM like Arvind Kejriwal.”
Bidhuri is running against AAP’s Atishi and Congress’s Alka Lamba for the Kalkaji seat. The Delhi assembly elections will be held in a single phase on February 5, with vote counting scheduled for February 8.
While the AAP has already announced its candidates for all 70 assembly seats, the BJP has declared nominees for 59 seats. The last date for filing nominations is January 17, followed by scrutiny on January 18 and withdrawal of candidatures by January 20.
Congress, which had been in power in Delhi for 15 consecutive years, has faced setbacks in recent elections, with no seats won in the last two assemblies. In contrast, AAP secured a resounding victory in the 2020 elections, winning 62 out of 70 seats.