AAP Chief Arvind Kejriwal launched a sharp critique of the BJP on Monday, raising concerns over the inclusion of the Jat community in the Central OBC list and issues surrounding new voter registrations in the New Delhi Assembly seat. Speaking at a press conference, Kejriwal accused the ruling party of attempting to manipulate the Delhi elections.
"The BJP can abuse me all they want, but tell me when the Jat community, which is on the Delhi OBC list, will be added to the Central OBC list? The Prime Minister has repeatedly visited Delhi and made speeches, but he has yet to answer this question. When will the Jat community be included in the Central OBC list as promised in 2015?" Kejriwal questioned.
On January 9, Kejriwal wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to fulfill the promise of adding Delhi’s Jat community to the Central OBC list. He accused the BJP-led central government of deceiving the community for the past decade under the guise of OBC reservation.
Kejriwal also mentioned that an AAP delegation would meet with the Election Commission today at 3 pm regarding two key issues.
"Awadh Ojha, our candidate from Patparganj, had his vote registered in Greater Noida. To transfer it to Delhi, he filled out Form 6 on December 26, 2024. However, he didn’t receive any response. He was later informed that he had to fill out Form 8, which he did on January 7. According to the Election Commission's manual, Forms 6 and 8 should have been filled before the nomination deadline," Kejriwal explained.
He further pointed out discrepancies in the Delhi Chief Electoral Officer's orders. "The Delhi CEO initially issued an order saying January 7 was the last date for submitting the forms, but then, mysteriously, another order was issued stating January 6 was the final date. This second order contradicts Election Commission rules. Was this done to disbar Ojha Ji?" Kejriwal asked.
Kejriwal also alleged suspicious activity regarding new voter registrations in the New Delhi seat. "There have been numerous new voter applications coming from the homes of BJP MPs and leaders. This raises serious questions. If so many new votes are being registered just before the elections, how can the sanctity of the election be maintained? You may have won in Haryana and Maharashtra, but the people of Delhi won’t tolerate this fraud," he stated.
The Delhi assembly elections are scheduled to be held on February 5, with vote counting taking place on February 8.