New Delhi, Jan 9 (IANS) As Delhi gears up for the upcoming Assembly elections, the political landscape is witnessing controversies and clarifications. Congress senior leader and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan made headlines by predicting that Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP would emerge victorious in the upcoming polls. However, Congress leader Rashid Alvi responded on Thursday, firmly stating that the party’s focus is solely on defeating the BJP in the national Capital.
Speaking to IANS, Rashid Alvi acknowledged the uncertainty of electoral outcomes but expressed his belief in Kejriwal’s potential for victory.
“Who will win and who will lose is a matter of time,” he said, adding, “In my opinion, Kejriwal should have talked about an alliance. The Congress doesn’t want a BJP government in Delhi.”
Significantly, Chavan on Thursday issued a clarification regarding his earlier comments on Kejriwal’s victory. He maintained that his remarks had been “taken out of context.”
The clarification came amid a growing conversation around possible alliances and political dynamics within the Opposition.
Rashid Alvi further expressed concern over the ongoing fragmentation of Opposition parties. Referring to allies within the INDIA bloc, such as the Samajwadi Party and Trinamool Congress, supporting the AAP in Delhi, Alvi remarked, “It is obvious that when any small or big political party of the INDIA bloc contests against each other, it weakens the alliance.”
He continued, “We have also contested alongside AAP and other alliance members, but our primary goal remains defeating the BJP.”
The political heat in the national Capital intensified when Kejriwal announced the launch of the ‘Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana,’ a scheme designed to provide Rs 18,000 per month to priests of temples and gurdwaras ahead of the election. The move has sparked criticism, with some accusing Kejriwal of playing the “Hindu card” to woo religious voters.
In response to these allegations, Alvi made a strong statement about the Congress’ position on religious politics.
“The Congress doesn’t believe in doing politics on religion. On the other hand, the BJP tries to politicise religion and sentiments. The AAP is somehow doing the same,” he said, reflecting the Congress’ more secular approach compared to the AAP’s recent outreach.
The announcement of the new financial assistance scheme by Kejriwal comes as part of his ongoing efforts to secure votes from religious communities ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections, scheduled for February 5.
With over 1.55 crore voters set to cast their ballots across 70 constituencies, including 12 reserved seats, the political battle is heating up as the election date nears. The results will be counted on February 8, and all eyes are now on how Delhi’s political future will unfold.
As the campaign intensifies, the clarity on the Congress’ role and alliances, as well as the shifting dynamics within the Opposition, will play a crucial part in shaping the outcome of the Delhi Assembly polls.
–IANS
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