New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Chief Arvind Kejriwal announced that he would be filing his nomination for the Delhi Assembly polls scheduled for 5th February. Taking to social media 'X', Kejriwal said, "I will file my nomination today".
Arvind Kejriwal is contesting from the New Delhi constituency against Congress’s Sandeep Dixit and BJP’s Parvesh Verma. The elections for all 70 seats in New Delhi Assembly will be held in first phase on February 5th, with the votes to be reckoned on February 8. As the elections draw near m, the Aam Aadmi Party and BJP have intensified their attacks on each other.
On Tuesday, Kejriwal stirred the political pot by claiming that the Assembly polls would expose what he called a “long-standing alliance” between the Congress and BJP, describing it as a “jugalbandi” (partnership).
Kejriwal hit back, saying, "I made one comment about Rahul Gandhi, and the BJP is the one responding. See how troubled they are. This election might reveal the hidden ‘jugalbandi’ that has been going on between Congress and BJP for years."
The AAP has already announced its candidates for all 70 assembly constituencies, while the BJP has named candidates for 59 seats .
Major deadlines include January 17 as the last date to file nominations, January 18 for scrutiny, and January 20 for withdrawal of candidature.
The Congress, which once ruled Delhi for 15 consecutive years, has struggled in recent elections, failing to win a single seat in the past two polls. In contrast, the AAP secured a landslide victory in 2020, winning 62 of the 70 seats, while the BJP managed only eight.
ED Receives Approval From MHA to Prosecute Kejriwal
Meanwhile, the Union Home Ministry has granted permission to the Enforcement Directorate to proceed with prosecuting Kejriwal in connection with the excise policy-related money laundering case, according to officials.
Last year, the ED submitted a chargesheet against Kejriwal in a special court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after arresting him in March. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) recently provided the necessary clearance for the ED to move forward with legal action against Kejriwal under the anti-money laundering law in the Delhi excise policy case, officials confirmed.