AAP wants Delhi election officials dismissed, BJP’s Parvesh Verma disqualified in New Delhi

Verma has been named as BJP’s candidate for the New Delhi assembly segment, which Kejriwal is representing

New Delhi

AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal addresses mediapersons after meeting ECI officials. (RAJ K RAJ /HT PHOTO)

Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP’s) national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said he asked officials of the Election Commission of India (ECI) to dismiss top election officials of New Delhi for “colluding” with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and also bar BJP’s Parvesh Verma from contesting elections for “organising job camps, distributing money, and handing out eyeglasses at health camps” in violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).

Verma has been named as BJP’s candidate for the New Delhi assembly segment, which Kejriwal is representing.

The ECI said the AAP delegation raised allegations of violation of MCC against Parvesh Verma and allegations of additions and deletions in the electoral roll of New Delhi constituency.

The ECI wrote to the Delhi chief electoral officer (CEO), directing the official to “inquire into the complaint, ascertain actual facts and take immediate appropriate action in accordance with the provisions of the Model Code of Conduct, electoral laws and extant guidelines of the ECI”.

The district election officer said in a post on social media platform X that field investigation did not prove any such allegation and that preventive measures were also taken. Further, the election officer also addressed allegations of illegal additions and deletions, saying “mere filling of form 7 and form 6 doesn’t amount to addition or deletion of names from electoral roll”.

The BJP also hit back, accusing Kejriwal of” insulting people of Purvanchal” by “calling them fake voters”.

“Arvind Kejriwal has long disliked people from UP and Bihar, and today, he again called them fake voters. Over time, Kejriwal has insulted the people of Purvanchal, terming them a burden on health care and education, and now he has gone too far by calling them fake voters. The hardworking people of UP and Bihar run Delhi’s economy, and their efforts are respected by all communities. We, the people of Delhi, will avenge Kejriwal’s insult to these hardworking individuals,” Sachdeva said.

Verma said that “fearing defeat Arvind Kejriwal has resorted to baseless accusations” and diversionary tactics. “It is clear that Kejriwal is aware of his declining popularity. His hold over the voters in this area has weakened, and to divert attention, he is making baseless accusations,” said Verma.

The AAP chief said: “In New Delhi assembly constituency, Parvesh Verma is openly conducting job camps, distributing money, and handing out eyeglasses at health camps, and has also announced a job fair on January 15. These actions violate election conduct rules, and we demanded that Parvesh Verma be barred from contesting elections. We also call for a raid on his house to uncover how much money is being distributed.”

The New Delhi assembly constituency will be a triangular contest among Kejriwal, Verma, who is a former West Delhi MP and the son of former Delhi CM Sahib Singh Verma, and Congress’s Sandeep Dikshit, the son of former Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit.