A day after the Supreme Court overturned the verdict of the Chandigarh mayoral polls in favor of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the party’s national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal, launched a scathing attack on the BJP on Wednesday. He accused the BJP of attempting to lure his MLAs with lucrative offers and destabilize elected governments in Opposition-ruled states.
During his address to the Delhi Assembly on Wednesday, Kejriwal expressed his concerns about the prevailing immorality in the system, questioning the place of truth and honesty in society. He noted that many good people lose faith in the system and the political class due to this immorality. Kejriwal remarked, “Sometimes, immorality pervades the system to such an extent that we begin to question whether truth and honesty have any place in society. Many have started to think that there is no point in following the path of honesty and integrity when those engaging in wrongdoing are conspiring against them.”
Kejriwal also voiced his support for former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, currently in custody in connection with the liquor policy case. He highlighted the irony of the situation where Sisodia, responsible for Delhi’s acclaimed education system, is in jail while those accused of misconduct are still wielding political influence.
Reiterating his accusations against the ruling BJP, Kejriwal alleged, “Our MLAs were offered Rs 25 crore each by the BJP to switch sides. Everywhere we look, Opposition MLAs are being lured away, and governments are being toppled. Whether it’s Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Maharashtra, the Northeast, or Uttarakhand… everywhere we see, elected MLAs are being enticed with illicit money.”
The Crime Branch of Delhi Police had issued notices to AAP chief Kejriwal and party leader Atishi at their residences in connection with the allegations of poaching by the BJP. Kejriwal responded, stating that the notice did not mention any FIR, and emphasized that his party would not succumb to such theatrics and intimidatory tactics.
Turning to the Chandigarh mayoral polls, Kejriwal criticized the BJP’s role, alleging manipulation of election results. He cited an incident where a candidate who was initially leading by a significant margin lost, and the trailing candidate emerged as the victor. Kejriwal remarked, “In Chandigarh, the BJP’s representative (presiding officer) manipulated the election results to the extent that a candidate who was initially leading by a significant margin lost, and the trailing candidate eventually emerged as the victor. A similar scenario unfolded in neighboring Pakistan as well.”
The Supreme Court, on Tuesday, declared Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Kuldeep Kumar, supported by the Congress, as the winner of the Chandigarh mayoral polls. The court determined that the presiding officer had intentionally invalidated eight ballots cast in favor of Kuldeep Kumar, affecting the outcome.
“The eight votes treated as invalid by making those markings… counting those eight votes for the petitioner (AAP candidate Kumar) will give him a total of 20 votes. We hereby quash the election result declared by the Returning Officer. The petitioner is declared as the winner of the Chandigarh mayoral polls,” stated the bench in its order.
