Page 24 - Delhi Assembly Elections

EC defends model code as vital for a level playing field in elections

One of the key reasons cited by the government to push for simultaneous polls has been that frequent imposition of model code disrupts development work and normal public life, but the Election Commission has asserted it is a "vital instrumentality" aimed at providing level playing field in polls. According to the bills brought by the government to implement 'one nation, one election', there is an imperative need for holding simultaneous elections for various reasons including polls becoming expensive and time-consuming. The Constitution amendment bill to implement 'one nation, one election' said the imposition of a Model Code of Conduct in poll-bound parts of the country puts on hold the entire development programmes and causes disruption in normal public life. It said that frequent poll code imposition also impacts the functioning of services and diverts the man manpower from their core activities to election duties for prolonged periods. But the poll authority is of the view that

Delhi polls: Within 5 yrs, slums in Delhi will be demolished, says Kejriwal

The AAP national convener claimed that the BJP does not intend to build houses for the slum dwellers

Delhi polls: Cong promises Rs 8,500 to unemployed youth if voted to power

The Congress on Sunday promised to give Rs 8,500 to educated unemployed youths in Delhi for one year if it comes to power in Delhi. The financial assistance will be provided under a scheme called the 'Yuva Udaan Yojana' and it is not free, AICC general secretary Sachin Pilot said at a press conference. "We will provide financial assistance to youths who can show their skills in a company, factory or organisation. They will get money through these companies. This is not a scheme under which one will get money while sitting at home," Pilot said. "We will try that people are absorbed in those fields where they have received training... so that they can... improve their skill set," he added. On January 6, the Congress announced 'Pyaari Didi Yojana', promising a monthly financial assistance of Rs 2,500 for women if it is voted to power. On January 8, the party announced 'Jeevan Raksha Yojana' under which it promised to provide free health insurance of up to Rs 25 lakh. Polling for the

Congress' Rs 8,500 monthly promise to unemployed youth ahead of Delhi polls

The scheme, titled 'Yuva Udaan Yojana', comes weeks ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections

BJP will demolish all slums if it comes to power in Delhi, alleges Kejriwal

AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday claimed that the BJP will demolish all slums in Delhi if it is voted to power in the upcoming assembly elections. Addressing a press conference in the Shakur Basti area here, the former chief minister accused the BJP of prioritising land acquisition over the welfare of slum dwellers. "They want your votes first and your land after the elections," Kejriwal said, referring to the BJP. He also criticised the BJP's 'Jahan Jhuggi Wahan Makaan' scheme, terming it an eyewash. "In the past five years, they have constructed only 4,700 flats for slum dwellers," he added. Kejriwal also alleged that the BJP has plans to take over the land currently occupied by slum dwellers without addressing their housing needs. "They will demolish all the slums and acquire the land without any concern for the people living there," he said. Kejriwal was accompanied by senior AAP leader Satyendar Jain, the party's candidate from Shakur Basti constituency. Jain

CM Atishi launches crowdfunding campaign for upcoming Delhi Assembly polls

Atishi emphasised that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has always relied on public donations to fund its election campaigns

AAP, BJP engage in fierce poster war ahead of Delhi Assembly elections

The latest salvo from AAP features a poster where Ramesh Bidhuri was projected as BJP's CM face in Delhi, they called him abusive

BJP accuses AAP of aiding Rohingyas, adding them to Delhi voter list

Meanwhile, BJP candidate from Kalkaji, Ramesh Bidhuri on Saturday alleged that Bangladeshi infiltrators and Rohingyas are being settled in Delhi with the support of parties like Congress, AAP

Delhi polls: BJP's 2nd list out, Kapil Mishra to contest from Karawal Nagar

The BJP on Saturday released its second list of 29 candidates for the Delhi Assembly polls, fielding Kapil Mishra, a former AAP leader now identified with hardline Hindutva politics, from Karawal Nagar. It has fielded Harish Khurana, son of former Delhi chief minister Madan Lal Khurana, from the Moti Nagar constituency. With the second list, the party has so far named candidates for 58 seats for the elections to the 70-member Delhi Assembly. The elections are scheduled to be held on February 5 and the votes will be counted on February 8.

Delhi polls: Kejriwal claims BJP to name Ramesh Bidhuri as CM face

AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday claimed that the BJP has picked former MP Ramesh Bidhuri as its chief ministerial candidate for the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections and will soon make the announcement. Addressing a press conference here, the former chief minister also challenged Bidhuri to a public debate. "We have come to know from reliable sources that the BJP is going to name Ramesh Bidhuri as its CM candidate in the next one or two days," Kejriwal claimed. "There should be an open public debate between the chief ministerial candidates of the AAP and the BJP, whether it is Ramesh Bidhuri or anyone else," he said. "Yes, we are challenging the BJP to a debate," Kejriwal said in response to questions from reporters. The BJP has fielded Bidhuri from Kalkaji assembly constituency. He will take on AAP candidate and Delhi Chief Minister Atishi, who is seeking re-election from the seat. On Friday, Atishi also claimed that the BJP was going to name Bidhuri as its CM

Manufactured, baseless: AAP rejects BJP's claims about CAG report

AAP leader Priyanka Kakkar on Saturday accused the BJP of fabricating false allegations against the Delhi government and dismissed the party's claims about a CAG report as "manufactured and baseless." Responding to the BJP's claims about the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report, Kakkar alleged during a press conference here that the report presented by the BJP was not authentic and had neither been seen by key stakeholders, including the chief minister and the LG, nor listed on the CAG's official website. "The report they are showing is fake and manufactured in their office. It holds no credibility. This is the same strategy the BJP uses repeatedly to mislead people with false allegations," Kakkar said. Referring to previous allegations levelled by the BJP, including those in the liquor policy case, Kakkar claimed even the Supreme Court had dismissed their claims as baseless. "The Dwarka Expressway project, built under the BJP, was initially estimated to cost Rs 7.5 crore b

Slum dwellers will 'liberate' Delhi by uprooting 'Aapda' govt: Shah

Slum dwellers will become "liberators" of Delhi by uprooting the "Aapda" (AAP) government in the upcoming Assembly polls, BJP leader Amit Shah said on Saturday, assuring that no welfare schemes for the poor will be stopped if his party forms government in the city. Addressing the 'Jhuggi Basti Pradhan Sammelan' at the JLN stadium here, Shah, who is also the Union home minister, promised that every slum dweller will be provided a house if the BJP wins the polls. The elections for 70-member Delhi Assembly polls will be held on February 5 and the votes will be counted on February 8. Shah greeted the gathering on the first anniversary of the consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla's idol at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya with a loud chant of "Jai Shri Ram". "When we talked of Ram Temple, Kejriwal said toilets need to be constructed, when Article 370 was scraped, he said people need houses. Modi ji gave toilets as well as houses to the poor people, not Kejriwal," Shah said. Shah charged that the

Rahul Gandhi to address public meeting in Delhi's Seelampur on Jan 13

With the Delhi polls weeks away, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will hit the campaign trail on January 13 and address a public meeting in northeast Delhi's Seelampur, the party said on Saturday. Addressing a press conference at the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee office here, AICC Delhi in-charge Qazi Nizamuddin said that Gandhi has emerged as the voice of the people of the country. Wherever there was an issue, Gandhi reached there and raised people's voice, he said. "Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will address a public meeting 'Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan' on Monday at 5.30 pm in northeast Delhi's Seelampur area. A large number of people, Congress party workers and leaders will participate in it," Nizamuddin said. This will be Gandhi's first rally in Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already held two programmes in the capital during which he attacked AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal and the party's government. The Congress held a month-long 'Delhi Nyay Yatra' in ...

Delhi Assembly polls: Smaller players may become spoilsports for Big Three

Fringe political players in Delhi, such as the BSP and AIMIM, are strategising to eat away the votes of the three main contenders -- the AAP, BJP and Congress -- in the upcoming Delhi assembly polls to spoil their gameplan. The BSP is planing to contest all 70 seats while the AIMIM is fielding candidates on about a dozen of Muslim-dominated seats. The two parties have planned rallies by their chiefs Mayawati (BSP) and Asaduddin Owaisi (AIMIM). The smaller political players in the national capital are gearing up to mount a strong challenge in the upcoming polls -- promising to address issues "neglected" in the Muslim-majority localities, combating corruption and pledging good governance, among others. One of them is the Bharatiya Liberal Party (BLP), founded recently by US-based doctor Munish Kumar Raizada and others associated with the Anna Hazare-led anti-corruption movement. Raizada said he and Arvind Kejriwal were part of the anti-corruption movement, but has now decided to give

Delhi elections: BJP attacks Kejriwal with song, poster on 'Sheesh Mahal'

The BJP on Saturday launched a song and poster on "Sheesh Mahal", sharpening its attack on AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal on the issue of corruption, ahead of Assembly polls on February 5. The song "Sheesh Mahal Aapda Failane Walon Ka Adda" and a poster titled "Aapda-e-Azam" were released during a press conference of Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva. "The person who came to power for a change and to take care of Delhi modified his own character and behaviour. Delhi people are looking for development while Kejriwal is abusing them for asking questions," Sachdeva said. He said that the released song narrates the story of Kejriwal's "corruption" and the "Sheesh Mahal" readied with taxpayers' money. "Sheesh Mahal" is a political moniker used by the BJP for 6, Flagstaff Road bungalow occupied earlier by Kejriwal as Delhi chief minister to accuse him of "corruption". The AAP has hit back at the BJP citing expenditure on the residence and plane used by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A

AAP to present evidence of alleged 'fraud' in voter list by BJP: Kejriwal

Aam Aadmi Party National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Friday, accused the BJP of facilitating a large-scale vote fraud in the New Delhi Assembly constituency

AAP accuses BJP of vote buying, embezzlement ahead of Delhi Assembly polls

AAP on Friday alleged that the BJP is buying votes ahead of the Delhi assembly elections, claiming that the saffron party's Delhi leaders have embezzled funds meant for "buying votes with money". Addressing a press conference, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh alleged that the BJP has allocated Rs 10,000 per voter to its leaders for buying votes but only a fraction of the money reached the intended recipients. "Instead of distributing the full amount, BJP leaders allegedly handed out only Rs 1,000 or Rs 1,100 to voters, pocketing the remaining Rs 9,000 for themselves," Singh said. In response, Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva dismissed the allegations as baseless, claiming they reflect AAP's desperation. "The words used by Arvind Kejriwal and his comrades in today's political statement reflect their uncultured social upbringing as well as lack of political ethics," Sachdeva said. He added, "Since last September, AAP leaders have known they have lost political .

PM Modi interacts with scribes outside BJP HQ; advises them to stay warm

The journalists were gathered outside the BJP headquarters to cover the party's Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting for the upcoming Delhi Assembly Election

BJP holds CEC meet to finalise candidates for upcoming Delhi Assembly polls

According to sources, the meeting primarily focused on the remaining seats in Delhi, where discussions were held to finalise the candidates for those constituencies

Delhi looks little different since 2010: AAP must share some of the blame

AAP has failed as comprehensively as the anti-corruption movement did