The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are engaged in a fierce tug of war for Purvanchali voters following recent remarks by AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal about the voter list. Kejriwal’s statement, which accused the BJP of bringing people from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar to create fake voters in Delhi, has sparked a heated debate. The comments have escalated tensions, especially within Delhi’s Purvanchali communities, leading to widespread discussions on voter manipulation. Congress leaders also slammed the AAP for commenting on the purvanchali people.
It is estimated that 40- 50 lakh Purvanchali voters spread in all 70 assembly seats, who play a major role in deciding the fate of the political parties here. The BJP sees an opportunity to capitalise on growing discontent with the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), driven by anti-incumbency sentiments and recent controversies. By leveraging its strong historical ties with the Purvanchali voters, the BJP aims to stage a comeback in the national capital.
The Delhi BJP held a protest on Friday against the AAP and its chief Arvind Kejriwal. Hundreds of protesters holding placards like "Purvanchal Virodhi Kejriwal" raised slogans against AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal, with some attempting to breach the security barricades near his residence. Slogans such as "Litti chokha khayenge, Kejriwal bhagayenge", "Chhathi Maiya ki jai", and "Purvanchal Virodhi Kejriwal murdabad" echoed during the protest.
During the protest, the demonstrators attempted to breach security barricades and move closer to Kejriwal's residence. However, the police used water cannons to disperse the crowd and prevented them from advancing further. According to police officials, more than 20 protesters were detained for protesting without valid permission. "They were bundled into police buses and taken to different police stations," a senior police officer said.
As electioneering gathers steam for Delhi assembly polls next month, Delhi BJP on Friday launched a scathing attack against AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal claiming he was anti-Purvanchal after his remarks on Thursday calling them “fake voters” have once again revealed the dark truth about his mindset. This was first visible in 2019.
Leveling this charge besides others, state BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva said Kejriwal is taking revenge on the people of Delhi for losing power. He added, “Kejriwal ji, you can curse BJP, but please do not spread tension in Delhi. You have already caused significant harm by halting Delhi’s development and looting its treasury. Please don’t disturb the harmony of Delhi anymore.”
Sachdeva also said “Kejriwal ji, you have always been anti-Purvanchal and will remain so. This bitter truth emerged once again yesterday, January 9. Why do you hate the people of Purvanchal so much?
The BJP Delhi President declared that the people of Delhi will no longer tolerate this and will liberate Delhi from the sinful rule of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on February five. BJP MP Manoj Tiwari said, "Arvind Kejriwal has always insulted the Purvanchali community. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he made several objectionable statements, and now he has referred to them as 'fake voters'. We will not forget this insult, and neither will the people of Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Bihar. This betrayal will remain etched in the memory of Delhiites as well."
After the controvery, Kejriwal was seen in a damage control mode today highlighting the work done by his party to improve the living conditions of the unauthorised colonies which are home to many people of this community. Kejriwal also blamed the BJP for doing nothing to improve the condition of Puravanchali people. "People from Purvanchal come here and live in slums. Before 2014, it was difficult to live in these slums. It was a life of hell, with mud and sludge everywhere. There was no development. According to the Supreme Court and central government orders, no development could take place there. More than 90 per cent of the people in these slums are from Purvanchal. I want to ask the BJP, what have you done for slums in the last 10 years?" said Kejriwal. "BJP is just a party for protesting. They only hold dharna and protest and indulge in dirty politics. They can't work for the people," he said.
AAP MP Sanjay Singh accused the BJP of attempting to delete the names of Purvanchali residents from the voter list in Delhi and said the saffron party was targeting "our Purvanchali brothers, calling them Bangladeshis and Rohingyas". Singh said that BJP leaders in several areas, including Shahdara, Janakpuri, Palam, Rajouri Garden, Hari Nagar, Karawal Nagar, and Mustafabad, have submitted applications to delete the votes of Purvanchalis. He further alleged that in Palam, nine BJP workers filed requests to remove 1,641 votes, while in Rajouri Garden, six BJP workers sought the deletion of 571 votes. The AAP leader alleged that the BJP has been caught "red-handed" while attempting to manipulate the voters list.
In a formal complaint to the Election Commission, Kejriwal raised concerns over applications for the addition of 13,000 new voters between December 15 and January 8.
Addressing the media after lodging the complaint, Kejriwal said, "Apparently many of these voters have been brought in from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and other neighbouring states to create fake voter registrations. This manipulation undermines the election process."
Kejriwal's remarks sparked an immediate backlash from BJP with party leaders condemning his comments.
