Yogi Adityanath at an event. (File photo)
Delhi Assembly Election 2020 HIGHLIGHTS: After campaigning for the Delhi elections ended Thursday, the Election Commission issued a showcause notice to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for accusing Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of orchestrating the 50-day-old Shaheen Bagh sit-in and “feeding biryani” to the protesters.
The EC said Adityanath’s statement, prima facie, has violated the provisions of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).
It asked Adityanath to submit his reply before 5 pm on February 7 . Failing which, the Commission said, a decision will be taken “without any further reference to you.”
Read Arvind Kejriwal’s interview to The Indian Express here.
While addressing a campaign in New Delhi last week, Adityanath said: “Kejriwal can’t provide clean drinking water to people of Delhi. A survey says that Delhi has the most polluted drinking water. But Kejriwal government provides biryani to the people sitting at protest in Shaheen Bagh and other places.”
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday spoke to The Indian Express on a wide range of issues.
Home Minister Amit Shah during his roadshows in Delhi, alleged the anti-CAA protest at Shaheen Bagh was a "joint venture" of the AAP and the Congress and claimed the "tukde-tukde gang" would get a "shock" when the election results are declared.
"Shaheen Bagh is the joint venture of the Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress. Kejriwal and Rahul Gandhi are worried that Shaheen Bagh should not be discussed. I want to ask them why the security of the country should not be an electoral issue? Why are the people sitting in Shaheen Bagh demanding 'Jinnah Wali Azadi' and why the tukde-tukde gang is supporting them?
"Shame on these people. I want to tell all of you that tukde-tukde gang is going to get a shock, because you are going to press the button on the lotus symbol on February 8 for the development of Delhi and the country," he said at a roadshow in Seemapuri constituency in North East Delhi.
Close to the Delhi elections, Congress said it may spring a surprise similar to the elections in neighbouring Haryana last year, senior party leader Randeep Singh Surjewala claimed as campaigning.
"Some news channels were giving us just two seats in Haryana but we won 31. It is going to happen again," he told a press conference. (PTI)
In an interview to PTI, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal said his vote bank is not based on religion or caste, but are all those people who want good education, medical treatment, modern roads and 24-hour electricity.
"Earlier, it used to be said that votes are not cast based on work done by the government. If you want to get votes you need to establish your vote bank based on caste and religion," he said.
He said these elections will establish a new kind of politics in the country which is the politics based on work.
Delhi's Deputy CM Manish Sisodia holds a roadshow in Padpadganj, ahead of the legislative assembly elections.
(Source: Twitter/AAP)
Union Home Minister Amit Shah is holding a roadshow in Delhi's Hari Nagar constituency. Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga, BJP candidate from the constituency, and Shiromani Akali Dal leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa are accompanying the Home Minister.
BJP president JP Nadda held a roadshow in Delhi's Mundka Assembly constituency. Wrestlers and BJP members Yogeshwar Dutt and Babita Phogat accompanied him.
The Election Commission has issued a notice to AAP leader Sanjay Singh for accusing BJP of causing "major trouble". His comments came days after a man was arrested for firing shots near the Shaheen Bagh protest area last week, PTI reported.
“Amit Shah is the Home Minister of the country at this time, now just before elections, photos and conspiracies will be found. 3-4 days are left for the elections, BJP will do as much dirty politics as they can. What does having a picture with someone means?” he had told ANI.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal addresses the media.
Addressing the media in the national capital, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said, “In the Bhagvad Gita, it is written that a true Hindu is brave and never leaves the battle field. I had challenged Amit Shah for an open debate but he ran away from the battle field.” “Campaigning is about to end but BJP is yet to declare their poll candidate. This proves that there is no one worth becoming the chief minister of Delhi from the party," the AAP supremo said.
The Delhi High Court on Thursday sought the Election Commission's response on a plea seeking rejection of nomination of an AAP candidate for allegedly concealing his educational qualification in his affidavit for the February 8 Assembly polls, PTI reported. A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar issued a notice to the EC and the AAP candidate from Karol Bagh, Vishesh Ravi, seeking their stand on the plea by Yoginder Chandolia, the BJP hopeful from the area. The bench listed the matter for hearing on Friday.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah is currently holding a roadshow in Seemapuri constituency. LJP chief Chirag Paswan and Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari are also present.
The Delhi High Court today declined to entertain a plea by 11 Independent candidates against rejection of their nominations for the February 8 Assembly polls, PTI reported. A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar declined to entertain the candidates' plea, which had also sought to set aside a single judge order dismissing their petition against the rejection of their nominations. The returning officer (RO) had rejected their nominations on January 21, the last date for filing the same. The plea challenging the rejection was dismissed on January 28 by a single judge of the high court who had said that only an election petition was maintainable after the poll process has started. The petitioner candidates had contended that the single judge's order "was passed erroneously and disregarding the facts and material placed on record" by them.
Delhi legislator and BSP candidate Narayan Dutt Sharma, who was earlier with the AAP, was allegedly attacked with batons by three unidentified people in the early hours of Thursday, police said. Sharma, who is the legislator from Badarpur and is seeking re-election to the Delhi assembly as a Bahujan Samaj Party candidate, received minor injuries. "The attack on Narayan Dutt Sharma is condemnable and shameful," BSP chief Mayawati said on Twitter. The incident took place around 1 am when he was returning to his home in Badarpur after a party meeting. Three men stopped his car and beat him up, a senior police official said. The three accused are yet to be caught, he added.
It is expected that a "Ram Rajya" (welfare state) will be realised in a true sense in the country by then, the Shiv Sena added in its editorial. There is criticism that the BJP "brought in" Lord Ram as Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal has caused restlessness in the saffron party ahead of the Delhi Assembly polls, the Marathi daily said. "This (criticism) is because the prime minister announced formation of the temple trust four days ahead of polling. It is important that the prime minister made the announcement in the Lok Sabha," it said.
A day after the Centre announced formation of a trust to build a Ram temple in Ayodhya, the Shiv Sena lashed out at the BJP, saying the issue was not expected to be politicised, but its "foundation" has been laid ahead of the upcoming Delhi Assembly polls. "Modi gave the slogan of 'Jai Shri Ram' just four days ahead of polling for the Delhi Assembly. Will be happy if (the number) goes up by two-four seats with the help of Shri Ram," an editorial in Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' on Thursday said sarcastically. "It was expected that the issue of Ram temple will not be politicised, but its 'foundation' was laid for the Delhi Assembly (election) and will be completed on the occasion of 2024 Lok Sabha (polls)," it said in cryptic remarks.
As the AAP juggernaut bulldozed the 2015 Delhi Assembly elections with an unprecedented mandate, BJP was able to salvage only three out of 70 seats — Rohini, Vishwas Nagar, and Mustafabad. The party has repeated its sitting MLAs from all the three constituencies hoping that these seats will become the base for more this time around. But will it be that easy to hold on to all three seats, a look at the ground reality this time around reveals that even though BJP enjoys considerable support in Rohini and Vishwas Nagar, the Muslim-majority seat of Mustafabad may slip from its grasp owing to the Citizenship Act and lack of development.
Speaking on the ongoing protests against the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi told new agency ANI that Shaheen Bagh might turn into Jallianwala Bagh after February 8. “Might be they will shoot them, they might turn Shaheen Bagh into Jallianwala Bagh. This might happen. A BJP minister gave a statement to ‘shoot a bullet’. The government must give an answer as to who is radicalising.”
If the BJP’s aggressive, high decibel campaign for the February 8 Delhi polls, with its obsession with Shaheen Bagh, was aimed at harnessing people’s frustration at traffic jams created by the protest, it worked. But if it was meant to consolidate votes in favour of the party candidates, the election pitch — which seeks to pit Prime Minister Narendra Modi against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal — might not yield the desired results. Modi’s popularity and acceptance in the city are intact, despite the malaise in the economy and criticism over the Centre’s failure to tackle joblessness. Voters laud the Prime Minister for “bold steps” he has taken — from Article 370 to Ram Mandir — but are quick to add that local issues are a bigger concern than national ones when it comes to choosing a government for the state.
“Kejriwal Mera Hero, Mera Bijli Ka Bill Zero” — Rajaul Haq (31) wore his heart on the back of his autorickshaw till January 15. The declaration is now buried under a thick coat of yellow paint. “They have erased the words, but they are etched in my heart,” said Haq, dusting off his autorickshaw as part of his morning ritual at Khadda Colony in South Delhi’s Badarpur. The fan of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is among several auto drivers in Delhi who have been penalised Rs 300-Rs 20,000 for displaying “political advertisements” on their vehicles, after the Model Code of Conduct came into force on January 6. Haq was fined Rs 20,000 at Jasola village — Rs 10,000 each on the owner and driver. Unfortunately for him, he is both, just not on paper. But his plea to traffic police that the vehicle is registered in someone else’s name but he is the actual owner did not cut much ice. “I recently bought the auto from Vikas bhai. How can I be charged twice?” said Haq, who moved High Court over the challan.
Congress AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra Wednesday hit out at the Aam Aadmi Party and compared the work done by them with the Congress’s performance in various sectors. At a public gathering in Chandni Chowk’s Matia Mahal, she blamed CM Arvind Kejriwal for taking credit for work done by former Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit during her tenure. Starting her speech with an apology for being late, she said, “I was stuck in traffic as no new roads have been constructed by BJP and AAP in the last five years. Had I taken the Metro introduced by Sheila ji, I would have reached here on time. Both BJP and AAP are publicity hungry… The model they follow is completely different from what Sheila ji used to follow,” she said.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday termed the February 8 Delhi elections a contest between two “ideologies”, and asserted that the poll results will come as a shock to everyone. “This election is related to the security of the country and Delhi. This is an election between two ideologies, and I am waiting to see which ideology people of Kondli are associated with,” he said. In an election meeting in East Delhi’s Kondli, Shah kept up his attack on the ruling AAP as well as the Congress, saying that they opposed the BJP on issues such as the Citizenship Amendment Act, Ram Temple and abrogation of Article 370 because of the fear of their “vote bank”. “Are you their vote bank?” he asked the crowd, to which they replied: “No”. “Who is their vote bank?” he asked the gathering, which shouted back: “Shaheen Bagh”.
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia today began his roadshow from Mandavali.
Through a video released by the AAP on Thursday, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal urged the citizens to press the "broom" symbol on February 8. "I request you to vote for the broom this time. You cannot deny that schools were earlier in horrible conditions. In 70 years, this is for the first time that schools have been given importance. In the last five years, it was my party which reduced the school fees. I was the one who reduced your electricity bills. Had there been a Congress or BJP government in the national capital, you would have to pay a lot for electricity. I was the one who made bus rides free for the women to help fulfill their dreams. I ws by your side in the last 5 years, and trust me, I will be by your side in the next five years as well," he said in the video.
Besides Patra, the Election Commission also imposed a 24-hour campaign ban on BJP MP Parvesh Sahib Singh for calling the chief minister a “terrorist” in an interview. He had earlier been banned him for 96 hours for making the statement that Shaheen Bagh protesters could “enter your houses, rape your sisters and daughters, and kill them”. The ban on Singh came into effect at 6 pm Wednesday, which means he is effectively banned for the rest of the campaign.
On Wednesday, the Election Commission issued a notice to BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra over his comments on Kashmir during a TV show on News 18 India. Patra had said that attempts were being made to "down" Hindus in India. Prima facie, the EC said, his remarks have potential to disturb communal harmony. The poll body has sought his response by 5 pm on Thursday.
BJP president J P Nadda will also hold road shows across Delhi ahead of the elections on February 8.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah will hold road shows across the national capital today.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), BJP and Congress on Thursday is set to make a last pitch for votes as campaigning for the Delhi Assembly Elections, scheduled for February 8, will conclude today. Voting will be held for 70 seats in the national capital. Get latest updates here.