‘We will surely win’: Kejriwal sounds pollbugle for ruling party

Declaring that the AAP is ready for the polls, Kejriwal urged volunteers to face the opposition’s formidable electoral machinery with determination

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday implored party workers and leaders to “gear up with full strength” and get ready to take on the “massive electoral machinery” of the other parties, as he expressed confidence in securing another victory in the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections.

Delhi CM Atishi, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal and party leaders Manish Sisodia and Gopal Rai during the launch of the party’s campaign song for the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections on Tuesday. (Arvind Yadav/HT PHOTO)

Hours after the Election Commission announced that the polls will take place on February 5, with results on February 8, Kejriwal framed the contest as one between “kaam ki rajneeti” (politics of work) and “gaali ki rajneeti” (politics of abuses), in a veiled jab at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has been the principal opposition party in Delhi in the last two elections.

Declaring that the AAP is ready, Kejriwal urged volunteers to face the opposition’s formidable electoral machinery with determination.

“The election schedule has been announced. All volunteers should gear up with full strength and enthusiasm to take the field. Even their massive machinery fails in the face of your passion. You are our greatest strength. This election will be a contest between the politics of work and the politics of hurling abuses. The trust of Delhi’s people will remain with our politics of work. We will surely win,” Kejriwal said in a post on X.

The AAP has already announced candidates for all 70 seats, while the Congress and BJP have named candidates for 48 and 29 seats, respectively.

Key electoral battles are shaping up in constituencies like New Delhi and Kalkaji. In New Delhi, Kejriwal will take on Sandeep Dikshit (Congress) and Parvesh Sahib Singh (BJP), both sons of former chief ministers. Meanwhile, in Kalkaji, incumbent AAP leader Atishi faces BJP’s Ramesh Bidhuri and Congress’s Alka Lamba. Defections have also added intrigue, with ex-AAP leaders like Kailash Gehlot and Raaj K Anand now contesting under BJP banners in Bijwasan and Patel Nagar, respectively.

Senior AAP leader and former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, who will contest from the Jangpura seat rather than his traditional Patparganj seat, expressed optimism about a fourth term for the party.

“Delhi residents will vote for a leader who has provided 24-hour electricity and ensured zero electricity bills, easing the lives of countless families in the city. The people will vote wisely and thoughtfully to make this a reality. Once again, they will choose a leader who secures a bright future for their children, works towards the dream of making Delhi a clean and beautiful city, and protects them from the burden of inflation,” he told party workers.

Wooing the voter

In the lead-up to the polls, AAP has rolled out several welfare schemes targeting marginalized communities to bolster its appeal.

These include the Mahila Samman Yojana, offering ₹2,100 monthly to women voters, and the Sanjeevani Yojana, providing free healthcare for the elderly at all hospitals. Additionally, the AAP government has provided free electricity for households consuming under 200 units and free bus rides for women.

Tanvir Aeijaz, associate professor of political science at Ramjas College, said sops will play a crucial role in influencing voter behaviour.

“Freebies resonate a lot with a large number of voters, especially those from the economically weaker sections. The prospects of getting tangible benefits encourage voters to choose a particular party as they hope they will get something in return after the elections. The success of the allowances of women in the recent elections have proved this. However, these freebies do not lead always to the real empowerment of the beneficiaries,” said Aeijaz.

Since its shocking debut in 2013, when it formed a short-lived government with Congress support, the AAP has cemented its position as a formidable political force in the Capital, governing the city with absolute majority since 2015.

Now vying for a fourth straight term in power in Delhi, the AAP and its convener Arvind Kejriwal face what may be their toughest test yet, with the party battling anti-incumbency, mounting allegations of financial irregularities, and crumbling civic infrastructure.

“Kejriwal is facing anti-incumbency to an extent that people are looking for some major development during his current tenure. He has more or less carried the same old policies on health and education, along with freebies,” Aeijaz said.