The Delhi assembly polls campaign was a particularly bruising and vitriolic one, from all sides of the political spectrum. But, as Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party emerged victorious in a fairy tale finish, it is pertinent to see some of the more talked about highlights of the BJP campaign and how Kejriwal responded to it.
BJP campaign
Voting for the BJP in Delhi polls will prevent“thousands of incidents like Shaheen Bagh”, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said. Shah attacked the opposition leaders, including Kejriwal and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on various issues, and asserted that only Prime Minister Narendra Modi can ensure safety and security of the country. “When you press the button of the EVM, do with such anger that its current (poll result) is felt at Shaheen Bagh,” he said.
PM Modi had directly pitted the BJP against the anti-CAA protesters on multiple occasions. "Be it Seelampur, Jamia (Nagar) or Shaheen Bagh, for the last several days, there have been protests over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. Are these protests coincidental? No, this is not coincidental, it is an experiment," Modi had said during the campaign. Behind the protests, Modi added, is a political design aimed at harming national harmony. In Okhla's Shaheen Bagh, hundreds of people, including women and children, have been protesting since December 15 at Shaheen Bagh against the CAA and the NRC.
Union Minister Javadekar had then called Kejriwal a "terrorist". "Kejriwal stayed a night at the Moga residence of Khalistan Commando Force chief Gurinder Singh during the Punjab Assembly polls". You knew it was a militant's house. Still, you stayed there. How much more evidence do you need?" he said.
Other BJP leaders described the election as an India vs Pakistan battle, while Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister attacked Shaheen Bagh protesters and tied the AAP to the protests: "Kejriwal cannot even provide clean drinking water to the people of Delhi... According to a (BIS) survey, the Delhi government is making its people drink poisonous water. But it is supplying biryani to those protesting in Shaheen Bagh and elsewhere in the city."
During the election rallies, BJP leader and Union minister Thakur egged on the crowd to raise an incendiary slogan — "traitors should be shot at" — after he lashed out at anti-CAA protesters. West Delhi MP Parvesh Verma on Tuesday said what happened in Kashmir with Kashmiri Pandits could happen in Delhi, warning that lakhs of anti-CAA protesters in Shaheen Bagh could enter homes to kill and rape women.
Kejriwal response
The AAP refused to get involved in the Shaheen Bagh protests, the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the Ram Mandir issue and several other hot-button ideological agendas of the day. Even Delhi Congress leaders had criticised Kejriwal for failing to address the Shaheen Bagh protests. But, Kejriwal stuck to development and populist subsidies.
"Free electricity up to 200 units of power and almost next to nil charges over that, free rides for women in public transport buses, up to 20,000 litres of free water per month and free pilgrimage for senior citizens have paid us after all," confessed a party worker, heaving a sigh of relief over the electoral results.
The party workers recall that in the run-up to the assembly elections, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and other AAP leaders had in their interactions with voters during poll rallies had duly emphasised upon various Delhi government schemes, providing for a host of services to people either free of cost or at highly subsidised rates.
The AAP dispensation had last October launched free rides for women in public transport buses on Bhai Dooj, asserting that it would empower women and ensure their safety in the national capital. The move was considered as a political step seeking support of women living in the national capital, said an upbeat AAP leader, adding the party was sure that it would benefit the party in the assembly elections.
Kejriwal had also announced free power consumption up to 200 units and 50 per cent subsidy for those consumers using 201 to 400 units per month. Later, tenants were also brought under the ambit of the scheme. Until now, tenants would not be able to avail 50 per cent government subsidy on consumption of electricity of up to 400 units.
The Arvind Kejriwal-led government had also announced a complete waiver of water arrears for people living in colonies categorised as E, F, G and H. Consumers of the other four categories (A-D) were given a rebate ranging from 25-75 per cent on their long-pending dues. The AAP government also decided to waive development and infrastructure charges for new water and sewer connections in the city.
Kejriwal, who was also the chairman of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), had in November said that people would have to pay just Rs 2,310 now to get new water and sewer connections. The government had also launched 'Mukhyamatri Tirth Yojana' under which senior citizens were offered free pilgrimage.
