Union home minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Amit Shah launched an attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday, terming it an “AAPda (disaster) for Delhi. Shah made the remark in his address to the slum dwellers in Delhi in the run-up to the Assembly polls on February 5 for which the contest between AAP and BJP has become intense.
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As part of the BJP’s slum outreach programme, party workers have been visiting the JJ clusters and staying with families there. “We have made a list of all your issues and handed it over to JP Nadda ji and (Narendra) Modiji,” Shah said. He assured them their issues would be reflected in the party’s manifesto and would not be mere promises like AAP’s.
Addressing the slum dwellers, he said: “You have the power to be Delhi’s ‘muktidatas' (liberators) – ‘mukti’ (liberation) from AAPda on February 5".
With Assembly polls just days away, BJP is increasingly trying to make inroads into this voter base that has for long been AAP’s stronghold, especially due to the party’s welfare schemes such as free electricity up to 200 units, free water, among others. This voter base is said to decide the results for up to 20 out of the 70 Assembly seats.
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In his address, Shah further attacked AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal. “The party which came to power over its fight against corruption has broken all records of corruption.” Speaking on the issues like contaminated water, polluted air and poor road infrastructure, he asked: “What has Kejriwal done in these 10 years?”
The polling for Delhi Assembly elections will take place on February 5 and results will be declared on February 8.