In the run-up to the Delhi Assembly elections, which are set to be held next year, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief and former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday made a bold claim about Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP’s) candidate for the top post.
He said that the BJP is planning to declare Parvesh Verma as its chief ministerial candidate for the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections. “According to sources, BJP is going to declare Parvesh Verma as its CM face. Will the people of Delhi want to make such a person their CM?” Kejriwal said in a post on the social media platform X.
In another post, the AAP national convenor alleged that a saffron party leader was caught distributing money to voters.
“I just returned from several areas in my New Delhi Vidhan Sabha constituency. People everywhere told me that these individuals are openly buying votes. They are offering Rs 1,100 for one vote. People said they would take the money but not vote for them,” the AAP chief stated.
“If you had worked for the public in the past ten years instead of abusing me, you wouldn’t need to resort to buying votes in this election,” he added.
Amidst notices issued by senior Delhi government officials disavowing the Aam Aadmi Party’s registration process for two schemes in the capital, AAP leader and Delhi CM Atishi accused the BJP of distributing cash in the New Delhi assembly constituency, where Kejriwal is contesting elections.
Atishi alleged that BJP leader and former West Delhi MP Parvesh Verma was caught distributing money at his official residence.
“The BJP is distributing cash to people after checking their voter cards in the New Delhi constituency. Today, Parvesh Verma was caught red-handed giving out money at his official residence, allocated to him as an MP. Women from various slums in the constituency were called there and given Rs 1,100 in envelopes,” Atishi said during a press conference, as quoted by news agency ANI.
She claimed that crores of rupees were stashed at Verma’s residence and urged the Election Commission to direct the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Delhi Police to raid the premises and arrest him.
“I want to inform the ED and CBI that cash worth crores of rupees is still at Parvesh Verma’s house. I urge the Election Commission to instruct the ED and Delhi Police to raid his official residence and arrest him immediately. The BJP is attempting to win a lost election. We will officially lodge complaints with the police and the Election Commission. The pamphlets used for distributing money also carry pictures of PM Modi and JP Nadda,” she further stated.
This controversy follows public notices issued by the Department of Women and Child Development, which declared the Mahila Samman Yojana as “non-existent.” The department clarified that no such scheme has been officially notified. In the notice, the department stated that any private individual or political party collecting information through forms or registrations in the name of the Mahila Samman Yojana is committing fraud.
“It is clarified that no such scheme has been notified by the Delhi Government,” the department noted, adding that people had been visiting government hospitals and offices seeking information about the scheme. The Delhi Assembly polls are expected to be held in early 2025. In the 2020 elections, AAP won 62 of the 70 seats, while the BJP secured eight.
