pera play Delhi Polls: Kejriwal Refutes BJP’s Claims On Contesting Two Seats; Alleges Centre Of Failing Jat Community
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal addresses a press conference, in New Delhi, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025pera play. Photo: PTI Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal addresses a press conference, in New Delhi, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. Photo: PTI
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday dismissed claims by BJP leaders that in the upcoming Delhi Assembly electionspera play, he would contest from two seats, out of fear of losing from New Delhi.
Addressing a press conference, Kejriwal clarified that he would contest from only one seat, the New Delhi constituency, as he has done since 2013.
The clarification comes after BJP’s IT cell chief, Amit Malviya, claimed on social media that Kejriwal, fearing defeat from New Delhi, was planning to contest from a second seat. Malviya also alleged that Kejriwal was making “baseless allegations” about voter list issues in his constituency. The AAP had previously accused the BJP of filing bulk applications to delete the names of thousands of its supporters from the electoral rolls.
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Responding to these claims, Kejriwal emphasized that the Assembly elections were not about the INDIA bloc, but were a direct contest between AAP and the BJP in Delhi. He is currently facing a tough triangular contest in New Delhi, with Parvesh Verma, the son of former Delhi Chief Minister Sahib Singh Verma, fielded by BJP, and Sandeep Dikshit, the son of Sheila Dikshit, Congress’ three-term Chief Minister of Delhi.
The AAP supremo also said that a meeting with the Election Commission officials was scheduled for Thursday evening, where AAP leaders would raise concerns, including the alleged deletion of voter names.
According to the two-judge bench, further efforts were required to ensure the optimal usage of stubble burning alternative equipment at grassroots level.
Kejriwal slams BJP-led centre for not including Jats in OBC list
Kejriwal also accused the BJP-led Central government of failing to fulfill its promises to Delhi’s Jat community. He criticised the Centre for not including Delhi's Jats in the Central OBC list, a demand that has been pending for nearly a decade. The AAP leader highlighted that despite repeated assurances from BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the promise remains unfulfilled.
“In 2015, BJP invited Jat leaders to the Prime Minister’s residence and assured them that Delhi’s Jat community would be included in the Central OBC list. Amit Shah promised the same in 2019, but nothing has been done,” Kejriwal said.
“Thousands of children from the Jat community in Delhi are unable to secure admission in DU because they are not part of the Central OBC list,” he said.
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He further emphasized the discrimination faced by Delhi’s Jat students, particularly in admissions to Delhi University (DU), where Jat students from Delhi are denied reservation benefits, unlike their counterparts from Rajasthan. He labelled this as a “betrayal” and reiterated the need for the Centre to include Delhi’s Jat community in the OBC list to provide them with reservations in jobs, college admissions, and other government services.
The Delhi Assembly elections are scheduled for February 5, 2025, with results set to be announced on February 8.
