Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate from Rohini, Pradeep Mittal, expressed strong confidence in his party’s success in the upcoming Delhi assembly elections, predicting a fourth term for Arvind Kejriwal as Chief Minister.
Mittal, contesting against BJP’s sitting MLA and Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta, highlighted pressing local issues in Rohini. He stated:
“Security is a big issue in Rohini assembly constituency. Incidents like chain snatching, mobile snatching, and bomb blasts keep happening here every day. This time the people of Rohini have made up their minds that they want all the changes and certainly this time AAP will win with a huge number of votes in Delhi. Arvind Kejriwal will become the Chief Minister of Delhi for the fourth time.”
Criminal Records Controversy
As the elections near, Delhi’s political environment is charged with debates and allegations. The BJP accused the AAP of fielding the highest number of candidates with criminal records. BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla said:
“Aam Aadmi Party used to say that they do not want criminals in their assembly because criminals will not be able to pass important and strict laws. But when the list (of candidates) was released, it was found that the Aam Aadmi Party has the highest number of people with criminal records—nearly 60%, followed by Congress. This means that Aam Aadmi Party has taken a U-turn once again.”
Election Overview
A total of 699 candidates are contesting for 70 assembly seats in Delhi, with polling set for February 5 and vote counting on February 8.
Past Performance
The AAP has been the dominant force in Delhi politics, winning 67 out of 70 seats in 2015 and 62 seats in 2020. In contrast, the BJP secured only three and eight seats in the last two elections, while Congress failed to win any.