Days ahead of the upcoming Delhi Assembly polls, The Republican Party of India (RPI) President and Union Minister Ramdas Athawale has criticised the Aam Aadmi Party convenor and former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for failing to fulfill all the poll promises despite being in power for the last 15 years.
While speaking to IANS, Athawale also said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will form the government with a landslide victory in Delhi in the Assembly polls scheduled to take place on February 5.
The Union Minister also added that Arvind Kejriwal failed to fulfill his poll promises to provide permanent houses to the underprivileged and slum dwellers residing in the national capital. On the other hand, the BJP under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already fulfilled the promise of giving permanent housing to slum dwellers living in the city, Athawale added.
“The BJP will form the government this time in Delhi while the AAP will be booted out of power for the last 15 years,” he said.
Commenting on the recent attack on Arvind Kejriwal’s convoy attacked while conducting a door-to-door campaign in the New Delhi Assembly constituency where the AAP accused the BJP of “orchestrating attacks” to kill the AAP convenor, Athawale said: “It is not the BJP but the people of Delhi who are targeting Kejriwal with stones and bricks after he failed to fulfill the promises based on which he was voted to power for the last 15 years in Delhi. Therefore, the AAP must not come to power at any cost in the upcoming Assembly polls.”
Earlier on January 18, AAP released a video of the incident, claiming Kejriwal’s vehicle was attacked with stones and bricks. The party also shared the video on X, accusing the BJP of attempting to harm Kejriwal.
Commenting on the Opposition alliance, Athawale claimed, “There is a clear division in the INDIA bloc.”
“While the AAP and Congress had an alliance during the Lok Sabha elections, they are now at odds. The AAP has declared that it will fight alone in Delhi, and the Congress is also contesting independently. Although some smaller parties are supporting the AAP, it won’t make a significant difference. The INDIA bloc is fractured, in my view,” he said.
The Union Minister also refuted that investigative agencies in Delhi were functioning according to law while citing the arrests of Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh, and other AAP leaders.
“Arvind Kejriwal has been accused of being involved in receiving commission worth crores of rupees in connection with the liquor policy scam in Delhi,” Athawale said.
“The BJP has the upper hand in Delhi because of Narendra Modi’s work, which will resonate with the people. This time, they will give the BJP the opportunity to form the government,” he added.
