- विज्ञापन -
New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced on Sunday that his party would not form an alliance with any political party in the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections, paving the way for a triangular contest in February for the 70-seat legislature.
Speaking at a press conference, Kejriwal confirmed, “There will be no alliance in Delhi.” His decision comes after Delhi Congress President Devender Yadav declared that Congress would contest the elections independently.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, AAP and Congress had formed a seat-sharing agreement but failed to secure any of the seven seats, all of which were won by the BJP. The lack of an alliance between AAP and Congress in the Assembly elections means that the outcome of the polls will depend on Congress’s ability to regain the support of its traditional voters, who had previously shifted their allegiance to AAP. Congress failed to win any seats in the last two Delhi elections.
During the press briefing, Kejriwal also criticized the deteriorating law and order situation in Delhi, claiming that people have been living in fear over the past two to three years. He linked the arrest of AAP MLA Naresh Balyan, who is suspected of ties with gangsters, to a wider issue of unchecked criminal activities. Kejriwal suggested that the central government’s actions in arresting Balyan sent a message to criminals that they could operate without fear.
Kejriwal described Balyan as a victim of crime himself, claiming that he had received extortion calls and filed complaints, but no action had been taken. “By arresting Balyan, the central government is sending the message that if you complain about gangsters, you will be arrested,” Kejriwal said.
The AAP leader also called for urgent steps to improve the law and order situation in Delhi. He said that while he had refrained from raising the issue earlier to avoid politicizing it, the situation had worsened to a point where it could no longer be ignored.
Kejriwal, who was recently attacked with a liquid during a march by a suspected former bus marshal, emphasized that such attacks would not solve the city’s law and order problems. “Instead of addressing the issue, I am being attacked, and our MLAs are being arrested,” he remarked.
He also expressed his hope that Union Home Minister Amit Shah would instruct the police to take stronger action against criminals, including gangsters and rapists, but claimed that this had not happened.
