New Delhi: Arvind Kejriwal, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader, on Thursday met senior officials of the Election Commission (EC) and demanded that his rival in the New Delhi Assembly constituency, Parvesh Verma of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), be barred from contesting the upcoming Delhi elections. Kejriwal accused Verma of engaging in corrupt practices, including openly distributing money and organizing job camps to influence voters. He further called for a raid on Verma’s house to uncover any illicit funds being used in these activities.
Kejriwal also alleged that fake voter applications were being filed in the constituency. He claimed that between December 15 and January 7, more than 5,500 applications for the cancellation of votes were submitted, which he described as fraudulent. He said that in the last 15 days, 13,000 new voter applications had been registered, many of which were fake. According to Kejriwal, the individuals whose names were used in the cancellation applications confirmed that the submissions were not made by them, which, in his view, pointed to a deliberate attempt to manipulate the election process.
In his complaint to the EC, Kejriwal criticized the local election officer of the New Delhi constituency, accusing him of surrendering to the BJP and facilitating the alleged electoral fraud. He called for the suspension of the District Election Officer (DEO) and Electoral Registration Officer (ERO), claiming that they were complicit in the BJP’s attempts to manipulate the vote.
Kejriwal’s meeting with the Election Commission came amid rising tensions as Delhi heads toward its assembly elections. The AAP leader demanded that strict action be taken to ensure a fair and transparent election process. The Election Commission assured Kejriwal that it would investigate the allegations and take appropriate action to prevent any malpractice. The BJP has not yet officially responded to the accusations, but Verma’s supporters have dismissed them as politically motivated. The outcome of the Election Commission’s investigation will be closely watched, as it may have significant implications for the New Delhi constituency.
