Delhi Elections Heat Up As BJP Doubles Down Attack On AAP: ‘Purvanchalis Will Teach Lesson’ – News18

Last Updated:January 12, 2025, 11:31 IST

on Sunday doubled down its attack on AAP’s convenor Arvind Kejriwal for allegedly insulting people from eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday doubled down its attack on AAP’s convenor Arvind Kejriwal for allegedly insulting people from eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, saying that “Purvanchalis will teach a lesson to AAP” during the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections.

The Delhi BJP unit released a poster on social media platform X, describing Arvind Kejriwal as ‘Jaani Dushman’ (bitter enemy) of Purvanchalis. Earlier, the BJP accused Kejriwal of calling them “fake voters.”

Taking a sharp jibe at Kejriwal, the BJP further said that people of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh have become “fake voters” for AAP, but Rohingyas and infiltrators are his close relatives.

Purvanchalis are people from eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar who have been settled in Delhi for decades and form a significant portion of the city’s voters.

The poster shares that Kejriwal forced Purvanchalis out of Delhi making announcements on loudspeakers, referring to the COVID-19 pandemic times when people from other states working in Delhi were sent back.

It further criticised Delhi’s ruling party for not getting the Yamuna river cleaned due to which women observing Chhath fast could not worship in the water body.

Recently, Kejriwal called people from Purvacnhal fake voters. However, the next day in a damage control exercise, he blamed the BJP for not carrying out any development work for Purvanchalis.

On several occasions, Kejriwal promised to clean the Yamuna, which still by large remains an unfulfilled poll promise, giving ammo to the BJP to attack the AAP.

Of Delhi’s 1.55 crore voters, 42 per cent are Purvanchalis or migrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and their votes influence the result in almost half of the national capital’s 70 Assembly constituencies.

Key seats with Purvanchali voters include Burari, Laxmi Nagar, and Dwarka. The Assembly elections in Delhi are scheduled for February 5 and the result will be announced on February 8.